All That Matters
by LadyDetia
Summary: By request, this is the tale of how Jasper and Tiger-eye met and fell in love. This is a spin-ff of 'Angel in a Blue Dress.' Enjoy!
1. Chapter 1: Who Are You?

All That Matters

Chapter 1: Who Are You?

It was harvest time on Homeworld. It was a very important event, for without it Gemkind couldn't continue the existence of their race or expand their empire. Among Gemkind every Gem has a purpose and function, which is usually determined by their size and type. There are even special types of Gems called Progenitors. Their sole purpose is to tend the Kindergartens and assist newly formed Gems in adjusting to sentient life. A new batch of Gem-lings emerged under the watchful eye of Progenitor Sunstone. The new Gems came in various sizes and colors which acted as indicators of what each juvenile Gem's function would be. One particularly large Gem-ling was one of the first to emerge. Her gaze rested on the twelve foot tall translucent Sunstone kneeling before her with a serene expression.

"Welcome to a marvelous existence, little Gem. I'm here to guide you to your proper place in Gem society. But first, please tell me who you are."

The orange Gem continued to gaze up at Sunstone's kind face, pondering her response. Finally the answer came to her from deep within.

"I am…Jasper."

"It's wonderful to meet you, Jasper. I see there are others who are awakening as well. Would you like to come with me to greet them?"

The newly formed Gem did just that, mostly out of curiosity. She wanted to see if there were others like her. This batch had lots of variety, but there was one thing that stood out. Although there were other large Gems, Jasper appeared to be one of the largest so far. It was obvious that many of the youngsters were intimidated by Jasper's size alone. At the same time, her wild looks and massive build contributed to that as well. Sunstone's gentle coaxing and motherly personality somewhat put the smaller Gems' fears at ease. The Progenitor was finally able to herd the little Gem-lings out of the Kindergarten to a common area where they would begin their training that would lead to their integration into Gem society.

The juvenile Gems were separated into two groups. The smaller Gems were ordered to follow a clear, slender Gem called Idocrase to an area of crystalline formations shaped like an auditorium about five hundred feet away from the Kindergarten. The taller Gems were sent to begin their lessons with Citrine, a yellow Gem with an imposing build. After the youngsters were settled in another large auditorium nearby Citrine formally introduced herself and ordered the juveniles to do the same. After stating her name, Jasper got a good look around at the young Gems around her. A lot of them were shades of red, yellow, brown, and orange. Most of them appeared to be pretty strong, as indicated by their solid builds. Jasper admired that fact for some reason, and noticed a growing urge within her to test her own strength against them. Next to her sat Carnelian, a red-orange Gem who seemed to be one of the few that weren't intimidated by Jasper's size. That was understandable since Carnelian was of similar height and build to Jasper. Two rows ahead and slightly to the left of Jasper was a Gem that had also caught her eye, though for another reason she didn't yet understand. She was about a foot shorter than Jasper with a slender, yet athletic build and had reddish brown, red, and cream colorings. As Jasper looked her over she felt an urge to get a hold of the shorter Gem, but not so she could fight her. She had no idea what she wanted to do once getting her hands on her, which Jasper found very strange. She was drawn to that Gem for a reason, but for the time being that reason was a mystery.

Soon after the Gems got all introductions out of the way their training began in earnest. Citrine began by testing each Gem's strength. Each was given the task of shattering stone pillars of various thicknesses. It was quite obvious that Jasper found the task quite enjoyable. Once she was faced with shattering a pillar as thick as she was tall, Jasper noticed something out of the corner of her eye. That same reddish-brown Gem was watching her. With the tiniest hint of a smirk, the strong Gem decided to show off a bit. It took two punches, but Jasper managed to crush the massive pillar to bits. She checked to see the reaction of the Gem that had caught her eye and saw that her pretty, light brown eyes sparkled with interest. Then, just like that, the moment was ruined when another Gem started talking to the pretty one with cream colored stripes. This caused Jasper to feel very much annoyed. The yellow-orange Gem contemplated kicking the offending interloper in the neck just to shut her up and stop distracting the one Gem that had her so intrigued.

'What did she say her name was?' Jasper wondered as the day's lessons came to an end. Citrine told Jasper she had done well in the strength test, but still needed further training. Although Jasper was proud of her performance, finding that fascinating Gem was at the forefront of her thoughts. As Citrine lead the group to what would be their temporary living quarters, which was similar to hostess housing on a military base, Jasper managed to catch up with the Gem that had caught her interest. She poked the reddish-brown Gem's shoulder while mentally noting how soft she felt. For a hot second Jasper's thoughts became a jumbled mess when the Gem turned to look her directly in the eyes. There was definitely something about her that caused something to stir within Jasper that at this point she couldn't explain. After a few seconds of awkward silence, the flustered young Gem finally spoke.

"Hi. I'm Jasper."

"Oh, hey. Umm…I'm Tiger-eye." Once again Jasper was struck silent. Tiger-eye's voice sounded so sweet that it caused a fluttering feeling within the taller Gem. Although Tiger-eye was physically strong, as she had demonstrated during the strength test, there was something about her that told Jasper that she didn't belong among this particular group of Gems. At the same time, Jasper struggled with her unexplained desire to be near Tiger-eye. "You did really good in the strength test."

"Thank you," Jasper replied while beaming with pride. "You weren't too shabby yourself."

"Yeah, I did pretty good with my skinny little arms, huh?" Tiger-eye flexed as she succumbed to a fit of giggles.

' _Gah! She sounds so…cute! She makes me feel like I'm going crazy, but I can't figure out why!_ ' For some reason that was beyond the yellow-orange Gem, this Tiger-eye brought out feelings of excitement and danger in Jasper. Something was telling her to get away from her, and at the same time she didn't want to pull herself away.

For the next several months this particular batch was groomed for battle by Citrine. During hand-to-hand combat drills, Jasper was often paired up with Carnelian, which irritated Jasper beyond reason. Her irritation grew when Carnelian took it upon herself to help Tiger-eye improve her stance. Tiger-eye appeared to be quite put upon by the gesture since she didn't even request the assistance. As the red-orange Gem took hold of Tiger-eye's arm Jasper's annoyance grew a thousand fold.

' _Stop touching her, you moron! Can't you tell that she doesn't want you putting your hands on her?_ ' Jasper inwardly grumbled as she headed straight for the pair. Tiger-eye was in the act of pushing Carnelian away, but that didn't seem to deter the over friendly Gem. Jasper yanked Carnelian away from Tiger-eye. Carnelian was about to protest until she saw the terrifying scowl on Jasper's face.

"Leave her alone! Can't you see you're making her uncomfortable?"

"If that's the case, why didn't she say anything?" Carnelian sneered as she glanced over at Tiger-eye, who rolled her eyes.

"Maybe because I thought slapping your hands and pushing you away made things pretty clear. But if you need me to say it, I will. Don't touch me."

"Oh, Tiger, sweetie, why you gotta be so mean?" Tiger-eye looked a bit hurt by Carnelian's comment.

"I'm not mean. I'm just being honest…"

"Tiger-eye, you don't need to justify yourself to this fool!"

"Hey, now, there's no need for insults!"

"Your very existence is an insult."

"Wow, that's harsh!"

"You haven't even seen the harsh side of me yet," Jasper responded in a threatening tone as she cracked her knuckles. Tiger-eye's melodious voice put the brewing brawl on hold.

"I wonder who that is talking to Lieutenant Citrine?" The rival pair followed Tiger-eye's gaze to see a tall, golden brown Gem conversing with their trainer. She had an air of elegance and grace that commanded attention. Her up-do was so well placed that every one of her blond curls was set perfectly. Her intricately patterned garments sparkled in the sunlight like a multifaceted gold and cream colored jewel. None of the juvenile Gems knew who she was, but they all could see that she was quite beautiful. As the breathtaking beauty made her way over to the trio none of them budged, as if their feet were glued to the floor. The golden brown Gem walked up to Tiger-eye to address her directly.

"Hello there, lovely. You must be Red Tiger-eye."

"Uh, yes, that's right."

"I'm Golden Tiger-eye. I'm here to take you to your proper home."

"Huh? What do you mean?"

"What I mean is that you don't belong in this military training camp."

"But…I like it here."

"That may very well be the case, but I'm sure you'll find your proper home much more appealing," Golden Tiger-eye replied ever so sweetly. "Now come along so these cadets can resume their training."

The reddish brown Gem's shoulders slumped as she looked back at Jasper and Carnelian, who still seemed to be in a state of shock.

"What if I don't want to go?"

By now Citrine had come over to intervene, nudging the young Gem towards Golden Tiger-eye.

"You don't have a choice in the matter. Orders came down from on high for you to go to your proper station. Now go on with your new trainer."

Tiger-eye still hesitated a moment until the golden one took her by the hand. She waved goodbye to her fellow cadets as she was lead from the training grounds.

"Bye. Hope to see you again soon."

Not long after the Tiger-eyes were out of view Carnelian boasted that Tiger-eye wanted to see her again.

"You idiot, she was clearly talking to me."

"Oh yeah?"

"Definitely! She didn't even want you to touch her!"

"Whatever. In case you haven't noticed, she didn't let _you_ touch her either."

Jasper grew silent then slapped Carnelian hard on the back of the head. She wasn't about to admit that her rival had a point. Citrine called to the pair and barked an order for the cadets to fall in line. Jasper attempted to clear her mind and focus on the task at hand, but that lovely reddish brown Gem dominated her thoughts to the point of distraction.

' _I really hope to get to see you again, too,_ ' the cadet thought as the lieutenant called her back to reality. A slight frown crossed her face as she realized she had a long day ahead of her. The only thing that perked her up was that she was once again paired with Carnelian for sparring. That would provide the perfect opportunity to take out her frustrations on her rival's smug face.

Next Chapter: Tiger House


	2. Chapter 2: Tiger House

Chapter 2: Tiger House

It was a bustling afternoon in the Western Military Complex. As she walked along a young red Tiger-eye took in the sights. Although everything was new to her, she lacked enthusiasm. She was only a few months old and so far all she knew was the small section of training grounds where she lived with her fellow Gem-lings from the current batch. However, even when an occasional stream of light would shoot into the sky, or a group of Gems would glide by overhead on a moving pathway, the youngster didn't seem impressed. Soon the foot traffic thinned out as her new trainer led her to an exclusive section of the Western Complex. Golden Tiger-eye stepped onto a moving pathway and bid the younger Gem follow. The buildings had become noticeably larger and more complex.

Soon the pair arrived at a regal looking edifice that was very similar in design to the Tahj Mahal, with domed structures, balconies, and rarely seen hanging gardens. The edifice was surrounded by a thick, high wall made of a hard, striated material so polished that is was as reflective as a mirror. The massive wall was sectioned off by four reinforced gates. Each gate was guarded by a pair of large Gems armed to the teeth and covered in armor. The reddish brown youngster was fascinated by the form and design of the weapons and armor.

'It would be so cool to learn how to make this stuff…' she pondered as the golden one's gem in the small of her back began to glow. A portal opened on the massive, multicolored gate, taking Tiger-eye by surprise. She had yet to learn how to open portals, or use any of her innate magical powers, so that just made her even more curious. As the pair made their way through the courtyard, Golden Tiger-eye gave her young charge a little time to take things in.

"Well, young Red, welcome to the Tiger House. This is where Tiger-eyes are trained for their special, and important function. I, Blue, and Green Tiger-eye will all show you how to be the refined, elegant Gem you are destined to become. But first I need to show you your quarters." As they entered the palace like house the striped pair was greeted by two other Tiger-eyes, one blue and the other green. Like Golden, their garments were eye catching, glittery, and a bit revealing. The only difference was that Blue's and Green's faces were veiled so that only their eyes showed. Tiger-eye frowned a little as she realized her garments appeared a bit dumpy compared to theirs. "Oh, hello, lovelies! I assume everything is as I left it?"

"Of course, Goldie!" The blue Tiger-eye cheerfully replied. "You know Green and I would keep things in order while you're gone."

"That is true," the golden one conceded with a warm smile.

"Is this the little lost red one you were looking for?" Green Tiger-eye inquired as she leaned close to give the younger one a good looking over. "We need to do something about your clothes. You'll never attract a master looking like that."

"That can wait till later, Green. Right now young Red needs to get settled in her quarters," Golden explained. The older Gem guided the younger deeper into the Tiger House as the Gem-ling observed the sophisticated interior design. The palatial architecture and furnishings had the youngster in awe of its beauty. She was even more stunned when she finally saw her quarters. They were much more spacious than the military barracks, more comfortably furnished, and very private. It was like a world unto itself.

"This is…all for me?"

"Absolutely. You're a Tiger-eye, so you should get used to living in luxury. That's the type of life that awaits you when you go to live with your master."

"Umm...may I ask a question?"

"Of course."

"What do you mean by 'master'?" Golden Tiger-eye pursed her lips as she settled down on a nearby cushion. She asked her young charge to do the same.

"You're only a few months old, so I doubt certain things have been explained to you. We Gems belong to three major classes. At the bottom are the civilians, above them are the military rank and file, and at the top are the high level officers and governing bodies known as the Elite. The Elite enjoy special privileges. One of them is the opportunity to enjoy the company and services of a Tiger-eye."

"Services?" The Gem-ling was now even more confused, and it was becoming clear that Golden was getting frustrated with the youngster's confusion.

"Tiger-eyes are expected to know how to sing, dance, and…entertain their masters. Over time you'll learn certain skills to please your master."

"Oh…ok." The young Tiger-eye mentally noted that Golden seemed to be holding back information about the expected services and entertainment of her Gem type. She had an eerie feeling about what that entailed.

"All right. Now that I've explained the basics, we might as well begin your training. We'll start with singing lessons with Blue. Come along with me to her quarters."

After meeting up with Blue Tiger-eye and explaining the situation, the skilled singer suggested they have the lesson out in the hanging gardens. Blue said that the area had great acoustics. Blue brought her instrument which was a blue metal flute. Green saw the trio heading to the hanging gardens and decided to join them as well.

"All right, Red Tiger. First let's start with singing scales so we can figure out what your range is." Blue started with middle C then sang the scale, and then instructed young Red to follow suit. The two Gems modulated up the scales until young Red found the higher notes getting uncomfortable for her.

"Ok, according to your vocal range I'd say you are a second soprano. Now, Tiger sisters, let's try some harmony!"

Blue started off with a simple melody in the key of F. Green joined in with her silky contralto, then Golden rounded it out with her tenor. Once Blue signaled Red to join in, she surprised them all. Instead of harmonizing with the other three she boosted the wordless song with a bouncy counterpoint. It just seemed to come naturally to the youngster as she bobbed and weaved her way throughout the simple melody. Young red closed her eyes and continued her vocal acrobatics. After a couple minutes, Blue had enough.

"Stop! Red, what do you think you're doing?"

"I'm singing!"

"You're supposed to be harmonizing with us, not doing…whatever that was!"

"Well…you were sounding all boring, so I thought I'd add my own little flavor to the mix…"

"You were not instructed to do that! This is unacceptable! You need to learn to follow instructions. If you can't even follow my simple instructions, how could you possibly be able to please your master?"

"Well, maybe I don't want to please my master!" Young red glared at the other three as they gasped in horror. Never before had such madness been uttered in all of their existence. "Maybe…maybe I want to do what makes _me_ happy!"

"Stop this! Just stop!" Green screeched. "What are you, defective?" Golden put a hand on Green's shoulder to cool her temper, as she calmly looked over the immature Gem-ling.

"Red, you are very young, so there's a lot you have yet to understand. I will make this clear. The key to a Tiger-eye's happiness is to please her master. We don't have to work, go to war, or make major decisions that affect the lives of Gemkind. We live a pampered life of luxury and protection from our masters. That's all we need. You haven't learned that yet, but you will eventually. Just let us teach you and show you the benefits of being who you are. Give it time, and everything will fall into place."

"But…"

"Red, that wasn't an invitation for rebuttal. Now return to your quarters to relax and clear your mind to prepare for your next lesson, which will be dancing."

The young reddish brown Gem got up and stomped off to her room like a child who had just been grounded and sent to bed without dinner. She flopped down face first on the biggest pillow in her room then turned over to look up at the skylight. She contemplated the vastness of the sky compared to the tiny little patch she was able to view through the pane of glass. Once again she glanced at her luxurious surroundings. The intricate objects were quite pleasing to the eye, but did nothing for her. She found no joy in these things. Truth be told, she wanted to go back to the military training camp. Although the quarters there were nowhere near as luxurious as her present ones, that wasn't an issue in her mind. She actually enjoyed being there. Yes, Citrine could be pretty hard on her cadets, but that just served as motivation to improve and get stronger. It was certainly something better to do than sit around looking pretty, or thinking of ways to please some master. Young Red's thoughts drifted until a certain yellow-orange gem came to mind. Now that was someone she found interesting. Definitely a lot more interesting than this bunch of Tiger-eyes. Jasper seemed a bit awkward at times, but Tiger-eye found that kind of endearing. She giggled at the memory of how the cadet would come to her rescue whenever Carnelian would overstep her boundaries. She found their verbal sparring funny and quite cute.

'I wonder how Jasper is doing? And I wonder if she even remembers me? It would be great if I could see her again…'

The young Gem's ponderings were cut short by knocking at her door. It was time for her dancing lesson with Golden to begin. With a sigh she got up and shuffled to her door, hoping this lesson will be more enjoyable than the previous one.

As the months passed, Red eventually got used to life in the Tiger House. To curb her boredom she would explore every nook and cranny of the building. She had found so many hidden spots where she could get some much needed privacy, and to hide from any visitors. She really didn't want any part of what was going on with the Elite Gems that would come by to experience the exclusive pleasures of the Tiger House. So far the others weren't giving her a hard time about staying out of sight, mostly because she was nowhere near finished with her training. She had gotten fairly good with her dancing. Her style was belly dancing. At first her movements were a bit wild, but Golden had taught her how make her moves more graceful and sensual. Red had to admit she did enjoy her dancing for herself, and would often dance in front of a mirror. Not once did she even consider that her dancing would be pleasing to some yet unknown master coming to whisk her away to who knows where to do who knows what to her. She would just admire herself for herself, and that was enough for her.

So far, Red hadn't gotten any visitors, and that was fine with her. However, soon that was about to change for the juvenile Gem.

Next Chapter: Hello again


	3. Chapter 3: Hello Again

Chapter 3: Hello Again

Back at the Western Military complex, Citrine's patience was being put to the test with the snot nosed cadets. They were thousands of years younger than her, yet they thought they knew everything about battle tactics. They needed to learn that in battle you should be prepared for anything and be able to think on your feet.

"All right, you brats! Fall in! We've got a lot of work today!" The cadets quickly obeyed and stood at attention to await further instruction. "Today we're going to do something a little different. You'll get the opportunity to experience the holographic mission simulator, or HMS, in order to prepare you for missions, whether domestic or off-world. There's more to battle tactics than smashing and blasting your way to victory, so keep your wits about you! First up is Andesine!"

While Citrine observed a small monitor to track Andesine's progress within the simulator, the rest of the cadets sat nearby to wait their turn.

"I wonder why Lt. Citrine won't let us watch the monitor." Carnelian wondered aloud.

"Probably to prevent any cheating. If we knew what's going to happen in the simulation then how could she see how each of us handles random situations?" Jasper replied in a bored tone as she picked at one of her fingernails. Carnelian stared at her rival for a few seconds before continuing their discussion.

"When did you get so smart?"

"I've always been smart," Jasper growled. "You've just been too stupid to notice."

"Why do you have to be such a smart-ass bitch?"

"I wouldn't have it any other way. Who knows? Maybe someday you'll grow up to be just like me," Jasper teased with a toothy grin.

"Only in your own sick, fantasy world. Besides, I'll be too busy climbing up the ranks, and after many glorious exploits I'll settle down to enjoy a peaceful existence with that lovely Tiger-eye." Carnelian clenched her fist dramatically as Jasper burst into hearty laughter.

"And you think _I_ have a fantastic imagination? You're absolutely nuts if you think Tiger-eye will even remember your sorry ass!"

"Oh she'll notice me all right. She'll be so impressed she'll be like, 'Jasper who?'"

"Yeah, whatever. Keep living in your fantasy world while I handle my business in real life."

Before Carnelian could come up with a witty comeback, it was Jasper's turn to enter the HMS. Once Jasper was inside a holographic screen appeared before her stating her objective.

 _You are in hostile territory on a foreign planet. Your objective is to make it back to base without being detected by the enemy._

The screen then displayed a map of the area with a bright red dot indicating the location of the base.

'A stealth mission, huh? This might be a bit of a challenge, but I think I can pull it off.'

Jasper appeared to be in a mountainous area with hundreds of strange, twisted growths jutting out of the ground. Most of these strange objects were twice as tall as Jasper or taller. They all were covered with some kind of rough outer layer at their base with thinner protrusions branching out high above. The protrusions were covered with paper thin objects that fluttered and rustled in the mountain breeze. There were also small, green blades of…something covering the ground. Whenever Jasper would take a step it would make a soft swishing noise.

'Whatever the hell this place is, it's giving me the creeps,' the cadet grumbled as she cautiously moved further down the path. She stopped in her tracks when she heard movement and voices up ahead. The noises were getting louder which meant whomever was out there was moving closer to her. She realized that since this was a stealth mission she had to get off the path before being seen. She hunkered down in the underbrush as quickly and quietly as possible. She waited until the voices were far out of range before continuing on, getting closer to her goal. Jasper had several close calls due to her wild mane. At one point she managed to very carefully get it untangled from the underbrush then shape shifted it into a much more manageable braid. She silently thanked the gods of magic that she had learned some basic shape-shifting the previous month as her goal was in sight. She proudly stood up and began to walk over the threshold when she paused.

Next to her right foot was a tiny, fuzzy creature with green and black fur looking up at her with large, moist eyes. It looked so weak and helpless that it was impossible for the yellow-orange Gem to resist giving it a good pounding. Just as Jasper raised her foot to stomp on it the creature opened its tiny mouth wide and let out a sound that seemed a thousand times too loud to and too booming to be coming out of its miniscule form. Within seconds a horde of hostile lifeforms came raining down on the cadet. She was able to fight off a few of them, but soon she was overwhelmed. Jasper finally ended up on the ground in a very vulnerable position with all kinds of weapons pointing directly in her face. The simulation ended suddenly, collapsing around her leaving nothing but a holographic screen with the words 'MISSION FAILED' blazing in red dead in the center.

Now, Jasper was not the type to cry. In fact, up to this moment she had never shed one tear. However, faced with failure she came pretty damn close. Once she exited the HMS she immediately saw Lt. Citrine standing there, arms folded and glaring daggers at her. Jasper averted her eyes as she went to sit on the sidelines as the next cadet went in. She was so glad Citrine was the only one who saw her screw up. If the other cadets had seen that they would never let up on the ridicule. She was especially glad Tiger-eye hadn't witnessed that.

'I hope she's having a better time with training than I am.'

In actuality, Tiger-eye was doing a magnificent job avoiding the rest of her training. She had a feeling it had to do with the sounds she heard coming from Green Tiger-eye's quarters every so often. She wasn't sure what was going on in there, but when she heard those sounds it made her feel awkward and uncomfortable. Whenever the young Gem would cross paths with Green the older gem would glare at her in disdain and declare that she was just avoiding the inevitable. That didn't stop the reddish brown Gem from avoiding the others every chance she got.

One day Tiger-eye noticed that none of the others were in their quarters. The private living area was pretty much abandoned except for the young red one. She could hear voices in the distance though. She tiptoed over to the nearest balcony to peek down into the courtyard below. She gasped in surprise when she spotted Lt. Citrine with ten of the cadets from the military training grounds. With a squeal of excitement she scurried down to meet up with her former classmates as Citrine addressed the young cadets.

"All right, brats, take a good look around. This is part of the good life that awaits you if you work hard and move up in the ranks to the level of Elite. You ten are the best in class so far, and if you keep it up you could be enjoying the company of these fine Gems right here."

By now young Red had made it to the courtyard. As she approached the group she greeted her former fellow cadets with an enthusiastic wave. When Jasper saw her she immediately recognized the red Tiger-eye, in spite of the red veil she wore. Her clothing was also different. Instead of her original dull, backless cream colored jumper she now wore a shimmering two piece outfit with mid-drift top and a pair of harem pants with tassels around the waist. Jasper thought the striped Gem looked pretty before, but now she looked amazing.

"Ah, hello there, Red. So nice of you to join us," Green greeted with a slightly annoyed tone. "Lt. Citrine brought all these cute cadets here to give them something to aspire to. Why don't you sing them a song to boost morale?"

"Oh, that sounds like a wonderful idea!" Golden Tiger-eye chimed in. "Red, your singing has improved so much. Why not let your friends hear for themselves?"

"Uh…ok."

The young Gem sat up straight and tall on her knees. As she racked her brain to decide what to sing her eyes locked with a certain tall cadet who was sitting towards the rear of the small group. She smiled behind her veil as she decided to try singing a song she composed on her own.

 _I used to seek out paradise_

 _Each and every day_

 _When I met you I realized_

 _It's not that far away_

 _And yet it seems that place is just beyond our reach_

 _Can we bridge the gulf between us?_

 _Should we even try?_

 _Paradise, it can be ours_

 _Just open up your eyes_

 _And open up your heart to paradise_

 _I'll be waiting beyond the veil_

 _Ah, ah, ah…_

As the young Gem sang her song all others present had gone completely silent. Tiger-eye had her eyes closed as she sang so she didn't even notice the looks she was getting. She definitely had captivated her audience. Her vocals were strong yet not overpowering. As she finished her song, the reddish brown Gem opened her eyes to finally see everyone staring at her. She was taken aback by the sudden uproarious applause from the cadets and Lt. Citrine. She shyly bowed her head in embarrassment, not noticing the glares of disapproval from Blue and Green. Golden's expression was more sympathetic with a hint of worry. Soon it was nightfall, so Lt. Citrine and Golden Tiger-eye promptly wrapped up the meet and greet and the two groups parted ways. It didn't take long for Red to pull her disappearing act again. She wasn't hanging around to get chewed out by Green or Blue about her song or ducking her training. She wanted to take a rare walk outside of the Tiger House anyway. She had become very skilled at getting outside undetected. She made her way to a quiet spot just down the hill from the Tiger House and sat down on a nice flat stone, admiring how the moonlight reflected from the surrounding crystal formations. She jumped from her perch when she heard footsteps approaching. In a panic she scrambled to find a place to hide, but there was no place in sight. As she backed up against a large crystal she reached back to her Gem to summon her weapon. She relaxed at the sight of a large orange hand and the silvery white mane that followed. She smiled behind her veil as the familiar taller Gem stood just a few feet away.

"Hi, Jasper. What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be with the rest of the cadets?"

"I'm improving my tracking skills." Jasper could tell from Tiger-eye's body language that she was a bit skeptical about her excuse, but thankfully the slender Gem didn't call her on it. "What about you?"

"Working on my stealth skills. Since you found me it looks like my skills need some improvement."

"Don't sweat it. I need to improve my stealth, too. Heh." The pair shared a nervous laugh as Jasper stepped closer. "We…uh…all miss you back at the base."

"Aww, I miss you guys too." There was an awkward pause before Jasper continued.

"That song you sang was…really great. Where did you learn it?"

"Nowhere really, since I made it up myself," Tiger-eye shyly muttered as she ducked her head.

"Wow. That's amazing. Your voice is amazing." As Jasper complimented the other Gem she felt her own face getting hot. 'Damn it, I always get this weird feeling when I'm around her! But it's weird in a good way!'

"Thanks. I'm glad you liked it." Once Tiger-eye lifted her gaze their eyes met. Without even thinking Jasper reached under Tiger-eye's veil to gently touch her cheek.

"You know…if I had someone to sing to me like that I could conquer a million worlds…" Now Tiger-eye's cheeks felt like they were on fire. She was so taken aback by Jasper's compliment she couldn't even get out a word of thanks. She got even more tongue-tied when she felt something warm press against her other cheek. Jasper reared back after realizing what she had done. "Uh…ummm…I gotta go. It was nice seeing you again."

Jasper turned and fled like her feet were on fire, leaving Tiger-eye gently touching her fingers to her right cheek. She wasn't sure what just happened, but she did know she wouldn't mind if it happened again.

Next Chapter: Master Jet


	4. Chapter 4: Master Jet

Chapter 4: Master Jet

One day a clever young red Tiger-eye had quite a dilemma on her hands. She had run out of ideas to avoid the final phase of her training. Even sneaking outside to gate to talk to the guards about their weapons didn't work. Soon all three of the other Tiger-eyes had figured out all of young Red's tricks and finally had her cornered.

"Red, you've been here over one hundred years and have managed to avoid the most important phase of your training," Golden explained in a scolding tone. "I refuse to allow you to put it off any longer. Come with me." Golden Tiger-eye had a strong grip on Red as she escorted her to Green's private quarters. Red knew that once she went through that door there would be no escape, since Green was the only one that could open the door from either side. Golden sat on the floor while holding Red tightly by the waist. Red made a futile attempt to escape from the stronger Gem's lap, but Golden simply held her even tighter and Green and Blue knelt before them.

"Pay close attention now, Red," Green cooed. "Expect a detailed review of everything you'll see today."

By now young Red was feeling very apprehensive about what was about to occur. All of her inner alarms were really going off once she saw Green and Blue fully expose their body constructs. Blue draped herself over one of Green's large cushions as the Green Tiger-eye climbed on top of her and began to kiss her. The young red one whimpered as she averted her eyes. Golden gripped her by the chin and forced her to turn her head forward. Young Red Tiger-eye briefly witnessed Green and Blue's actions before shutting her eyes tight. That didn't stop her from hearing the sounds she had heard coming from Green's room previously. This time the sounds were loud, clear, and unfiltered. Golden Tiger-eye noticed that the young red one had her eyes closed. Seeing that she quickly lost her patience.

"Red, open your eyes. This is nothing to be afraid of or ashamed of. It's a part of what it means to be a Tiger-eye. Just embrace it!" Red shut her eyes even tighter and tearfully denied Golden's words as she struggled to escape the older Gem's grip. Suddenly it seemed as if someone had come to the young Gem's rescue when a loud knock was heard at Green's door. The booming voice of one of the guards came through the door.

"Pardon the interruption, lovelies, but you have two important visitors down in the courtyard."

"Who is it?" Golden Tiger-eye called out, still holding Red in place in her lap.

"Her Excellency Yellow Diamond, and Guild Master Jet."

"All right. Thank you for informing us." Golden quickly released Red from her grasp as she gave the order for Green and Blue to make themselves decent and open the door. Once Green opened her room door Red didn't waste any time fleeing to her own room leaving a trail of tears in her wake. Golden didn't bother chasing down the traumatized Gem. Her master was here after all, and she wouldn't dare keep Yellow Diamond waiting. Once Golden made it down to the courtyard she gave her master a proper, respectful greeting, then acknowledged Guild Master Jet. Both Gems were quite tall, close to nine feet Yellow Diamond being slightly taller than Master Jet. The mighty Yellow Diamond was a perfect balance of elegance, grace, and arrogance. Though for the most part she was a Gem of few words, her presence alone commanded respect. Her multifaceted Gem was centered in her chest. Jet's body construct was rather rigid compared to Yellow Diamond's and consisted of shades of gray, silver, and black. Her smooth, black Gem was centered along her brow line.

After Golden Tiger-eye's greeting, Yellow Diamond stepped toward her and traced a slender finger along the pretty Gem's jawline.

"Hello, my precious golden doll. I don't know how this is possible, but you look even more radiant as usual."

"Oh, thank you so much, Milady. However no one is as lovely as you."

"You are just too darling," the Elite Gem purred as she planted a tender kiss of her servant's golden brown cheek. "Your replacement should be arriving in the next harvest. Then you can permanently reside with me. Until then, I can trust you to maintain order here, right?"

"Absolutely, Milady." With a coy smile, Golden Tiger-eye locked her arm with her master's as she escorted Yellow Diamond to her personal quarters. "Milady, I haven't forgotten about your previous request. I have everything ready and waiting for you."

"Oh, I'm sure you do. You have yet to disappoint."

After that pair left to enjoy long awaited pleasures, Green and Blue had arrived in the courtyard and greeted Guild Master Jet with poise and grace.

"Greetings, Master Jet. Welcome back to the Tiger House. It's been quite some time."

"Yes, it has, Blue. I've been busy with new initiates. Very few of them made it through the basic training."

"Ah, I see. You must be in need of relaxation to refresh your mental state. Shall I prepare a meditation space for you?"

"Actually there's no need for that. I've heard that there's an elusive Red Tiger-eye here. Is that true?"

Both Blue and Green frowned at the mention of the rebellious youngster.

"Yes, that is true. She hasn't completed her training though," Blue replied with a hint of disdain in her tone.

"That may be a good thing. Tell me, is she untouched?"

"Unfortunately, yes, Master Jet. She has refused to complete that phase of her training," Green responded with a huff of frustration.

"Ah! That's perfect! I need her unspoiled."

"Really?" Green scrunched up her face at the odd request.

"Yes, really. Now where is she?"

"Holed up in her quarters being her usual stubborn self," Green grumbled.

"Very well. Take me to her."

An unenthused Green Tiger-eye agreed to show Master Jet to Red's quarters. Once there Jet knocked on young Red's door, but there was no answer. The Guild Master decided to coax the Gem-ling to open the door.

"Hello in there, Red. This is Master Jet. I'm told that you haven't completed your training. I actually think that's a wonderful thing. It's good that you are untouched, and if you hear me out I will tell you how you can remain that way for as long as you wish. Just please open the door."

There was a moment of silence until an oval shaped portal opened and expanded in the center of the door, revealing a distressed looking Red Tiger-eye.

"Are you saying you're not here to take me away to…do things to me?"

"That's mostly true. I'm not here to lay a hand on you, but I am willing to help you leave this place if you want."

The young Gem's eyes shifted as she mulled over Master Jet's offer.

"You just want to talk, right?"

"Yes. Nothing more, nothing less."

"All right. Please come in."

The tall, dark Gem accepted the invitation. The two newly acquainted Gems sat on the floor facing each other. Red was a little nervous about being alone in her room with such a large Gem, so she kept her hands down and close to her sides in case she had to summon her weapon.

"So, what's this about you helping me leave this place?"

"Simply put, if you're tired of being in this place I am willing to help. In spite of the disapproval of the others, I like what I've heard about you. We have a lot in common. I too had decided to remain untouched." The youngster found that very hard to believe. "I can tell by your expression that you're skeptical of that fact because I have come here before. What you don't know is that I only come here so I can have a quiet place of solitude so I can meditate. The trainees living in the Cloisters can be quite lively. I can guarantee you'll never get bored there. I enjoy working with them, but sometimes I need to get away from it all. No one bothers me here. However I get the feeling that you have the opposite problem." Jet quirked a brow as the youngster hung her head.

"The others treat me like there's something wrong with me. But I know there's got to be more to life than sitting around being pampered. I…want to work. You know, learn to make things with my hands."

"Is that so? What is it you would like to do?"

"I want to learn a skill, like making weapons and armor. Is that weird?"

"Not at all! In fact the blacksmith at the Cloisters is in need of an apprentice. Would you be interested in trying your hand at metallurgy?" Young Red could hardly believe what she was hearing. She concluded that she would be a fool to pass up this offer.

"Yes! That would be awesome!"

"Well then, I guess this will be your last day at the Tiger House. A special Gem like you will surely make a fine addition to the guild!"

"My last day…you mean like _today_?"

"Mmm-hmm. This very day."

The reddish brown Gem was so overwhelmed by the very thought of leaving the Tiger House and never looking back she wept for joy as she thanked the Guild Master profusely. She was so happy to be leaving this place that she didn't even consider that possibility of regretting this decision. All she could think about was the freedom that awaited outside of the palatial walls of The Tiger House.

Next Chapter: Dark Cross


	5. Chapter 5: Dark Cross

**AN: For some reason ever since last Monday my stats chart has been showing that I haven't had any views on . I know that can't be right because my e-mail alerts tell me that people are adding the story to their favorites as of this morning. I don't know what's going on, but I sent two e-mails about my problem but no one has gotten back to me yet. Please try posting a review so I can see if at least that's still working for me. Thanks.**

Chapter 5: Dark Cross

After about two centuries spent at the Tiger House a certain Red Tiger-eye was finally experiencing her happiest moment there. She was leaving to do what she deemed meaningful with her life. She would no longer have to don a veil. She would get the opportunity to use her creative skills for something besides pleasing an Elite Gem who doesn't give a damn about her feelings or desires. In her mind she would be her own unique and happy self that had just about been buried by the oppressive lifestyle of her present surroundings. As the excited youngster prepared to leave, Guild Master Jet informed the other Tiger-eyes of her intentions. Golden Tiger-eye seemed upset about Red's departure, yet Green and Blue appeared to be relieved to see the troublemaker go. Perhaps a more cooperative Red Tiger-eye would come along in the next harvest. Master Jet smoothed things over with Golden by making a very generous contribution to the Tiger House. None of the older Gems dared argue with that.

The young Tiger-eye didn't waste time with long good-byes and left the Tiger House permanently. She was so thrilled to leave that it had a positive effect on her personality. She was less shy and more open to talk to someone about her ideas. She appreciated how Master Jet would listen attentively to her and answer any questions the young Gem had about their destination.

"The Cloisters is a place of enlightenment, discipline, and self-discovery. Guild initiates are grouped together in teams of three. Unless something happens to a team member, the team is not to be broken up. The three of you are to support each other throughout your training and learn how to work together on missions."

"Missions? You mean I'll actually get to leave and explore the outside world and it won't be a problem?"

"Yes, absolutely," Jet replied with a broad smile. Tiger-eye's enthusiasm was having a positive effect on the Guild Master's mood. Eventually the pair arrived at a fairly secluded area high on a crystalline mountain. There was very little plant life. As for wildlife, every once in a while Tiger-eye spotted a crystal creature crawling about near the streams of shimmering water flowing down the mountainside. Settled on a large cliff on the mountainside was The Cloisters. Its appearance was that of a large dojo, but instead of being built from bamboo and wood, it was made of hard materials like metal and stone. Jet and Tiger-eye climbed the carved stone staircase. The Guild Master led the youngster through the outer gate into a courtyard where a group of guild members could be seen practicing combat maneuvers. It reminded Tiger-eye of her time at the military training grounds. That was a good sign to the juvenile Gem. She already felt comfortable here.

Master Jet watched closely as Tiger-eye's face lit up with excitement from all of the sights and sounds of the Cloisters. She had a feeling the naïve youngster hadn't yet realized the implications her presence had outside of the Tiger House.

"Do you like what you see here?"

"Yes! I'm really excited!"

"I can tell! Let me show you to your quarters. Then I can introduce you to your fellow trainees."

By now the red Tiger-eye was grinning like a Cheshire Cat. When Jet showed Tiger-eye her new quarters, she noticed the simplicity. The room was small with a futon rolled up in a corner. In the past two hundred years she had learned how to magically alter her quarters to her liking so the simpler the better. Jet politely stood by as Tiger-eye magically marked the room as her own.

"If you're ready, I'll now take you to meet your team members." Master Jet couldn't help but chuckle at the young Gem's squeal of excitement. The pair returned to the outer courtyard where training was wrapping up. Jet called out to two particular Gems. One was about five feet tall, petite, with mossy green colorings, and her smooth, teardrop shaped gem was on the nape of her neck. The other was six feet tall, milky white with thin, dark veins throughout her sturdy body construct. Her gem was centered in her chest with a hexagonal cut. The pair approached Master Jet and Tiger-eye then bowed in respect to the Guild Master. "Jade, Milky Quartz, meet Tiger-eye. She'll be replacing your previous team member so you all can move forward with your training."

Tiger-eye waved, grinning happily, yet the two other Gems simply responded with blank stares. Tiger-eye's smile faltered as she lowered her hand with a look of confusion.

"Tiger-eye, dear, here at the Cloisters we do not wave like a silly little Gem-ling. We bow." After Master Jet made a quick demonstration, Tiger-eye followed suit. Her new teammates smiled and returned the gesture. "That's much better. Now I need you three to find a nice quiet spot for you to get acquainted with each other. You'll be working closely together so you need to develop a rapport. I'll come back to you in two hours."

Milky Quartz suggested they sit on the porch overlooking the now empty outer courtyard. Tiger-eye agreed as she observed her teammates. Milky Quartz seemed a lot more extroverted than Jade, who as of yet hadn't spoken a word.

"All right. We might as well get formal introductions out of the way. I'm Milky Quartz. I'm originally from the North. I was in the middle of training to work at The Institute when Master Jet offered me a chance to become a part of this guild. So I weighed my options. I could spend the rest of my days testing samples at The Institute or join the badass Dark Cross Guild. I obviously chose the latter." Milky Quartz smiled, exposing her shark-like teeth. Jade was next to tell part of her story in her quiet and subdued manner.

"I'm Jade. I'm from the Research Hub in the Central Complex. I came here for enlightenment." Tiger-eye got a creepy feeling as Jade stared right at her with her light green pupil-less eyes. The reddish brown Gem cleared her throat and followed up with her own introduction.

"I'm Tiger-eye. I'm from here, the Western Complex. The reason I came here was to be the apprentice blacksmith and learn how to make weapons and armor. I'm originally from The Tiger House."

"The Tiger House?" Jade questioned with a slight frown. "If my memory serves me right, isn't that…a brothel?"

"Your memory is serving you wrong, because it's not that at all!" Tiger-eye snapped.

"Well, what is it then?"

"It's, uh…ummm…I'm not sure what to call it, but it's definitely not that!"

"No need to be so defensive. It doesn't make a difference to me," Jade calmly responded with a shrug. Milky Quartz then snorted with laughter.

"What's so funny?" Tiger-eye grumbled.

"You must really have Jade intrigued. That's the most I've heard her talk since I got here!"

Tiger-eye shook her head as Milky Quartz continued to laugh at Jade, who just sat there stone faced. Tiger-eye wasn't sure what to make of these Gems and wondered if she would be able to get along with them.

Later on that day, Tiger-eye was introduced to the guild's blacksmith, Black Pearl. She seemed friendly enough, but Tiger-eye was a bit concerned about getting too close to her because of her fragile appearance. The Black Pearl appreciated her apprentice's enthusiasm, for it made teaching her the basics of metallurgy so much easier than if she was dealing with a student who 'knew it all.' In between her lessons with Black Pearl, Tiger-eye's days were spent mostly training with her teammates. Things were a bit rocky at first, especially with Jade's quiet sarcasm and Milky Quartz silliness, but soon the whole team learned that if they were going to become official guild members they had to take things seriously. They also had to learn to support one another in their training, because if one team member failed the whole team failed and would be held back in their training. The former team member that Tiger-eye replaced was the very reason Jade and Milky Quartz were held back, so they quickly figured out that play time was over. Tiger-eye's dedication to her training also helped improve their attitude and strengthened the team.

Tiger-eye's dedication didn't go unnoticed by Master Jet. The Guild Master could see that the young Gem had a proclivity for stealth in spite of her above average height. Tiger-eye was so focused that Jet worried that she may excel beyond her two teammates, causing imbalance and shaking up the team's harmony. Master Jet decided to allow Tiger-eye the rarely giving opportunity to go outside of the Cloisters on errands. Knowing Tiger-eye's mentality, Master Jet presented these errands as if they were important missions and all part of her training when in actuality they were just a way to slow Tiger-eye down so her teammates could catch up.

One day Tiger-eye was sent with some armor samples to deliver to the weapons depot at the foot of the mountain. With her held high while humming happily to herself Tiger-eye made her way to the depot. Once there she met briefly with the depot manager and summoned the samples she had stored in her gem. She watched the manager closely as she admired the craftsmanship.

"These bracers not only have a sturdy design, the pattern on the front is quite unique."

"So you like the style and form?"

"Yes I do!"

"Well good, because I designed it."

"No way!"

"Yes way! These are the first official samples I designed myself as an apprentice."

"Wow, you are quite skilled. I would have sworn these were designed by an experienced artisan. You must have an excellent trainer."

"Yeah, she pretty awesome. I learned so much from her. Anyway, is it ok if I take a look around here?"

"Sure! I'll be back to answer any questions you have after I catalog these."

"Thanks."

While browsing through a section with swords and axes, Tiger-eye heard a couple familiar voices. Tiger-eye walked up and down the aisles trying to pinpoint the origin of the familiar deep timbre of a certain yellow-orange Gem's voice.

"I don't get why we have to haul all of this armor with us for every purge. We're built for battle and strong as hell. I think practical armor would just slow us down and get in the way."

"I hear you, Jasper, but don't let the Commander hear you say that. She'll throw you in the brig for even questioning her judgement."

"Whatever. I just wonder if those Praxians are as docile as the Scouts say they are. Even if they're not, I'm more than ready to crush any resistance…"

Jasper's voice trailed off as a long unseen face came into her view. Carnelian followed her gaze and her whole face lit up. The extroverted soldier pushed past Jasper and was in front of the object of her unfulfilled desire in a flash. She placed her hands on tiger-eye's shoulders and gazed down at the pretty Gem.

"Tiger-eye, it's so great to see you! How have you been?"

"Uh, fine…" the reddish-brown Gem responded as she lifted Carnelians hands from her shoulders. Much to Carnelian's chagrin Tiger-eye glided past her and headed straight for Jasper. She looked up at the taller Gem with a bright and friendly smile.

"Hi, Jasper."

"Hey there. It's been a while since I last saw you. What have you been up to?"

"Oh, nothing much. Just designing weapons and armor," Tiger-eye replied in a quite humble tone.

"Wow, really? You're a Gem of many talents." Jasper just about lost her composure when Tiger-eye ducked her head with a shy giggle.

"Thanks. So, what have you been up to?"

"Eh, nothing much. Crushing enemies, conquering planets, the usual shit." Carnelian rolled her eyes at Jasper's bragging.

"You say it like you did it all by yourself," Carnelian sneered.

"Tiger-eye, did you hear that annoying sound?" Jasper inquired in a mocking tone.

"What the hell are you talking about, Jasper?"

"There it is again! I think we'd better take our conversation somewhere a little quieter and a lot less annoying." A now giggling Tiger-eye readily agreed. As the pair stepped outside of the depot, Jasper noticed Carnelian trying to follow them. She then shot her rival a look that screamed 'if you try to follow us I shall personally crush your very soul to dust.' Carnelian decided it was best to not fuck with that dangerous glare.

Jasper and Tiger-eye stepped outside of the armory to continue their conversation. Jasper told Tiger-eye about her exploits on different planets. She was no longer a cadet, having been promoted to ensign. Jasper was proud of that fact, but at the same time she was determined to strive to higher heights. When Tiger-eye stated that she was proud of Jasper as well it gave her such a warm feeling. Jasper was fully aware that no other Gem brought out such a feeling in her. Jasper listened attentively as Tiger-eye described some of her training in metallurgy. The soldier didn't understand everything the apprentice blacksmith described to her, but that didn't matter. She enjoyed seeing Tiger-eye's enthusiasm and genuine smile. The pair enjoyed their conversation so much that they decided to continue it.

"Have your tracking skills gotten better, Jasper?"

"Yeah. Why do you ask?"

"Follow me to The Cloisters, but not too close. I'll get in trouble if I'm seen leading you there. You can't see it from here, but The Cloisters are on a huge cliff on the north side of the mountain. Meet me on the south wall, okay?" Jasper readily agreed. The soldier gave Tiger-eye a head start before trailing her friend up the mountain path. About an hour later the two young Gems met up in a secluded spot along the south wall as planned. Their conversation wasn't very deep or emotional, but that didn't stop Jasper from testing her limits with Tiger-eye. Over time she had come to the conclusion that she had a strong attraction to the reddish brown Gem, but she wasn't sure if that attraction was mutual. Every once in a while Jasper would push aside a strand of Tiger-eye's hair, or brush a finger across her cheek, or briefly press a hand on her knee. Tiger-eye didn't tense up or pull away, so to Jasper that was a good sign.

"So, Jasper, what's next for you?"

"Well, I'll be shipping off soon to some newly discovered planet called Praxiz. Several expedition teams found an ideal spot to set up a remote Kindergarten. The thing is the native lifeforms have been impeding progress, so it's up to us soldiers to take care of the problem."

"Wow, it's so cool that you get to go to other planets! Maybe someday I can do that, too. Oh, before I forget, I want to give you something to wish you good luck on your mission!"

Tiger-eye reached behind her back to summon a small, sharp object.

"This is a dagger that I made with my own hands. It didn't quite turn out how I wanted, but at least the blade looks good." Jasper looked over the blade with a happy grin.

"You know, you really shouldn't doubt your skills like that. I think this looks great. Thank you."

Without a second thought, Jasper leaned in to give Tiger-eye a kiss on the cheek. The apprentice blacksmith was so taken by surprise that her cheeks were practically glowing.

"I'm glad you like it. Uh…it's getting late, so I better go. Master Jet doesn't tolerate lateness. I so don't want to get chewed out."

The two young Gems reluctantly parted ways with a tentative promise to meet in their special secret spot just outside the walls ofTthe Cloisters. Tiger-eye winced at the piercing sound of the Guild Master's angry voice calling her name. The initiate knew she was tardy getting back from her simple errand and braced herself for a verbal lashing. Unfortunately, the lashing was beyond verbal. Before she had a chance to fully apologize, Tiger-eye was caught off guard by the powerful blows raining down on her from the enraged Master Jet. She tried her hardest to escape the beating, but instead she felt her body strike the ground hard before her mind was engulfed in darkness.

Outside of the walls, Jasper could hear the loud commotion. She was sure she heard yelling and terrified screams from within. Jasper clambered up a tall crystal formation near the cloisters to peer over the wall to see what was going on. What she witnessed had her boiling over with anger. Tiger-eye was splayed on her back, limp and unresponsive as Master Jet continued to strike the helpless young Gem as her fellow initiates cried out for their Guild Master to stop. Jasper made the split second decision to jump down within the walls to put an end to this madness, and possibly put an end to Master Jet. As Jasper's feet landed heavily on the training grounds only one thought was foremost in her mind. She had to protect Tiger-eye at all costs.

Just as Jet was about to land another hard blow to Tiger-eye's face a strong hand caught her arm in mid swing. Jet looked back over her shoulder to see an unfamiliar, and rage filled face of a Gem she had never seen before. The Guild Master flung the intruder off of her. Jasper landed hard on her back, but quickly got to her feet in a fighting stance. She glanced over to see two Gems moving the still unconscious Tiger-eye out of harm's way, then gave Master Jet a challenging glare.

"So, you want to fight me? Heh. That'll be the biggest, and maybe the last mistake you'll ever make!" Jet taunted. That didn't faze Jasper one bit as she immediately attacked the taller Gem with all her might. The two large Gems landed blow for blow in hand to hand combat. Jasper seemed to be losing ground in the fight until she summoned her crash helmet. Jasper used her helmet to shield her head from Jet's powerful blows. When Jet's fist connected with the hard object she recoiled in pain. She wasn't expecting her opponent to be so strong, so she quickly came up with a counter measure. Master Jet grabbed Jasper's arm and flung the younger Gem into a nearby wall. She then called to Black Pearl, who was standing nearby.

While Jasper got her bearings and stood to her feet she saw something out of the corner of her eye. She got a brief glimpse of Jet and Black Pearl doing something strange. They were dancing. As she wondered why in the world a couple Gems would be dancing in the middle of a fight she saw the dancing pair's Gems glow and become two light bodies which merged into one. Much to Jasper's surprise a massive sixteen-foot tall being with four arms and four eyes towered over her. The soldier stood there in shock at the sight before her legs decided to work again so she could run. Unfortunately the startled Gem didn't get very far before the giant being reached down and scooped Jasper up in her one of her huge fists and held the hapless soldier to her face.

"I don't know who you are, but if you know what's good for you, you'd better not come back here. Now get out and stay out!"

Jasper's body lurched as Onyx wound up her arm then literally tossed the soldier above and over the walls of The Cloisters. Jasper panicked as her body hurtled down the mountainside. She braced for impact as she hit an outcropping about two hundred feet down. Fortunately she landed on her back and had avoided cracking her gem on her face. Unfortunately, a sharp rock that jutted up from the outcropping had pierced her left thigh nearly severing her left leg. It was painful. So much so that Jasper had no choice but to retreat into her Gem. Her last thoughts before retreating were towards Tiger-eye.

'I really hope you're ok…' floated through her mind as she retreated to the quiet inner space of her Gem to heal.

Next Chapter: Praxis


	6. Chapter 6: Praxiz

Chapter 6: Praxiz

On an outcropping about two hundred feet below The Cloisters, a Gem began to stir and glow. As she hovered about ten feet above the ground the previous form of this Gem briefly displayed itself until the Gem settled on an updated form. Jasper took a moment to regain her bearings. She realized that it was twilight, so as far as she knew she had only been regenerating for several hours. After determining her location on the mountainside she focused on her immediate goal. She was determined to get back to Tiger-eye. She climbed the face of the cliff until she made it to the mountain path to The Cloisters.

When she arrived at the end of the path what she saw had her confused. The building was nowhere in sight. When she walked away from the ledge and toward where she remembered the building had been, she met resistance. Jasper leaned her shoulder forward and contacted something hard. There appeared to be nothing but open space to her eyes, but her body felt a hard surface, which the soldier assumed was a wall. Jasper took a defensive stance when she suddenly heard a voice call out to her from beyond what appeared to be an open, empty area.

"Looking for a way in? I'm sorry to say you'll never find it." As Jasper attempted to pinpoint where the voice was coming from, the Black Pearl seemed to appear out of thin air about fifteen feet above her. "Why did you come back here?"

"Is Tiger-eye all right?"

"Why does it matter to you?"

"Damn it, stop fuckin' with me and tell me if she's all right!" Jasper practically roared. Black Pearl glared down at the furious young Gem. Jasper wasn't the least bit intimidated by that, and continued to demand answers.

"Do you care about her?"

"What kind of stupid ass question is that? Why would I ask if I didn't care?" Black Pearl sighed as her cold features softened.

"What's your name?"

"Answer the damn question!"

"Fine. Tiger-eye is all right. She retreated into her Gem, but she's being watched over…"

"What? That bitch hurt her that badly? Take me to her now!"

"You know I won't do that. You need to leave."

"Fuck you!"

"No amount of yelling, cursing, or threats will change my mind. Now I suggest you leave and forget about Tiger-eye, forget about The Cloisters, and don't ever return here. If you do come back here you will be dispatched without warning." Without another word the Black Pearl appeared to vanish into thin air. With her thoughts clouded by anger and desperation, Jasper punched and kicked the now obvious magic barrier keeping her out of The Cloisters. After over an hour of trying to find a way through Jasper eventually and reluctantly gave up. She clenched her fists in frustration as tears threatened to fall from her golden eyes.

'If only I was stronger, I could have…' Her thought was left incomplete as her hands fell to her sides and she hung her head in defeat. It was now nightfall. In a few hours Lt. Citrine would be conducting a headcount at the barracks. It was pointless to continue and risk harsh discipline, so Jasper returned to the barracks. Once she returned she saluted her superior officers, but spoke to no one. Not even Carnelian could get a word out of Jasper, which was really odd since their teasing banter had become commonplace. Jasper hid her thoughts from the others because she knew it would just lead to questions she had no desire to answer. Although it made sense for the soldier to forget about Tiger-eye, Jasper just couldn't bring herself to do it. She had never met anyone like her, and no other Gem made her feel the way Tiger-eye did. Jasper knew she was attracted to her, but she got the feeling that there was more to it than that. She was relieved to hear that Tiger-eye was still alive…assuming Black Pearl was telling the truth. Yet there was no denying that Jasper desperately wanted to see her again.

Back in The Cloisters, Tiger-eye's teammates kept a vigil over her gem in the apprentice blacksmith's quarters. While Milky Quartz was still visibly shaken by what happened to her teammate, Jade managed to conceal her emotions. That was part of their training that Jade took to heart. Master Jet emphasized that a Dark Cross Guild member is to hide her emotions and is forbidden to have emotional attachments. As they waited for Tiger-eye to reform, Jade and Milky Quartz discussed the intruder who dared to fight Master Jet.

"Her build and battle technique tells me that she's clearly from the warrior class," Jade speculated. "It's likely she's from the military training grounds south of here. The question is how did she find The Cloisters and why did she come here?"

Before Milky Quartz could give her input the voice of their Guild Master could be heard coming through the door. Jade gently picked up Tiger-eye's gem and held it up to the door until it glowed, opening a portal for Jet to enter. Without a word Master Jet sat in the seiza position next to Tiger-eye's futon as Jade laid the reddish brown striped Gem down on the soft bedding. Jet's silence made it clear to Jade and Milky that she wasn't there to talk to them so they kept quiet. Moments later the Red Tiger-eye began to glow and reform. As soon as Tiger-eye realized where she was and who was there she recoiled in fear in a protective position on her futon. She slowly relaxed when Master Jet didn't make a move to strike her.

"Welcome back, Tiger-eye. Is it safe to assume that you've learned to take my views on lateness seriously?" The young Gem nodded. "Good. Don't let it happen in the future. I don't want to have to make an example of you again, since you're one of my best initiates." The Guild Master glanced at Jade and Milky Quartz who each flinched, not knowing what to expect from their unpredictable leader. "I need you two to give us some privacy. Go to the guild library to study until I send for you." Jade immediately obeyed Jet's order while Milky Quartz seemed a little hesitant at first. The moment she noticed Jet's glaring black eyes she decided disobedience was not worth the trouble. Once the other two were gone Jet zeroed in on the sheepish looking Tiger-eye.

"So, tell me…who was that Gem who came to your rescue?"

"Huh? What Gem?"

"Don't feign ignorance!"

"Master Jet, I mean no disrespect, but I was knocked out! I have no idea what Gem you're talking about!"

"That is true. I'll describe her for you. She was yellowish orange with orange stripes on her body and had long light colored hair. She looked a bit taller than you and had a solid build, like a trained soldier. She fought like a soldier, too. Does this description sound in any way familiar to you?"

"No, Master Jet."

"Hmm…really now? She seemed to know _you_. Oh well, it doesn't matter I guess. I took care of that intruder. Threw her right off the side of the mountain. I have no idea if she survived. If she did survive and is stupid enough to return here I'll make sure to put an end to her existence." Jet watched for any sign of reaction from Tiger-eye, but the younger Gem didn't seem fazed at all. The Guild Master was completely unaware of the panicked thoughts going through Tiger-eye's mind at the very idea of Jasper being harmed or worse. She inwardly thanked her teammate, Jade, for showing her how to hide her emotions. "It seems to me that you have no idea who that intruder was. However, if I find out that you're lying about that it's back to the Tiger House for you. I'm sure some Elite Gem out there would love to defile that body of yours." It took everything within Tiger-eye not to shudder at that thought. After Jet dismissed her to the library the youngster hoped Jasper was all right and held on to the fleeting hope to see her friend again.

The Gem in question was doing her best to focus on her mission on the planet Praxiz, and put all thoughts of Tiger-eye out of her mind. Jasper was part of the first wave of soldiers to arrive on the base located on the fourth moon of Praxiz. There they met Captain Red Beryl and her companion Lt. Rubellite. The military Captain was six feet tall with a thick build, blood-red and cream colorings, and tight cornrows that exploded into a tightly coiled sphere on the back of her head. Her multifaceted gem had a round cut and its placement was on her left shoulder. Her companion, Rubellite, was four foot nine inches tall with a stocky build, red-violet and hot pink colorings, and long individual braids that reached the middle of her back. Her multifaceted gem was cut in the shape of a human eye and its placement was in her right eye socket.

While on the moon base, the troops were debriefed on the situation on the large planet the satellite was orbiting. According to intelligence gathered by the Scouts, the native lifeforms on this planet had been interfering with the establishment of a Kindergarten on the surface of Praxiz and making it nearly impossible to build Gem colonies. To make things even worse, several field researchers had gone missing. This situation was serious. Serious enough to call in the troops. During the debriefing Jasper watched her superior officers closely. She noticed that red Beryl was very formal in her approach and mannerisms, but Rubellite seemed very laid back. She even smoked a cigarette during the debriefing. After a few minutes the Lieutenant touched the captain's arm, causing Red Beryl to pause. Rubellite headed straight towards Jasper, who was still standing at attention.

"Hey, Ensign, you got an eye problem?"

"Uh, no ma'am," Jasper replied with a puzzled expression.

"Hmph," the lieutenant huffed as she took a long drag from her cigarette then blew smoke out of the corner of her mouth. "You find me interesting, ensign?"

"Uh…I guess…"

"Oh…so what do you find interesting about me?"

"Well…you're definitely the shortest officer I've ever seen."

"How about that. And why, pray tell, would my size and me being an officer be even remotely interesting?" Rubellite inquired as she mockingly cocked her head to the side. Jasper had the sneaking suspicion that she was being lead into a trap, but she entertained the question nonetheless.

"From what I've seen, Gems who are officers tend to be a lot taller and a lot…stronger than you."

Rubellite folded her arms and regarded Jasper with a smirk.

"Let me get this straight. You assume that I'm weak because of my height?" The lieutenant leaned her head back and let out a round of hearty laughter, then in a flash she grabbed ahold of a lock of Jasper's hair and yanked downward until the ensign's face was practically planted on the ground. The stocky lieutenant pressed her foot against Jasper's neck as she sneered down at her. "Whoops! Looks like you underestimated my strength, Ensign. Now since you're underestimating me, who's to say you won't underestimate the enemy? You need to get your shit together, Ensign."

"My name's Jasper," the soldier sputtered as she attempted to get back up on her feet. Rubellite pushed her back down with her foot.

"Did I ask you what your fuckin' name was? Nope. I'll call you whatever I'm in the mood to call you. In fact, I'm tempted to call you Dirt Muncher, or even Filthy Bitch. I can't decide which one I like better for now, so I'll stick with Ensign. Now get up and fall back in line."

Jasper grudgingly followed orders as she brushed moon dust from her face as Rubellite smiled up at the Captain.

"My apologies for the rude interruption, my dear Captain. Please continue with the debriefing."

Red Beryl responded with a wink and continued from where she left off. Using holographic projections of the planet Praxiz, the Captain showed the first wave of soldiers the location of the presently inactive remote Kindergarten on the second largest continent on the planet.

"This planet rotates on a thirty-two hour cycle. Once the site moves into nightfall, which is in approximately fourteen hours, the first wave will be sent down via warp pad. According to intel gathered by the Scouts, Praxians are organic beings that have a rather long sleep cycle. Of course we'll use that fact to our advantage and put their interference to an end."

During their fourteen hour wait, the troops from the first wave found different ways to pass the time. Jasper wasn't in the mood for socializing. Rubellite's assholery still had her feeling a bit pissed off. She glared at the lieutenant, who was presently seated next to Captain Red Beryl. Something about the pair's interactions caught Jasper's attention. They were sitting awfully close together, and their body language didn't seem like they were just colleagues. The two Gem's made direct eye contact while Red Beryl had her right hand placed on Rubellite's left thigh. After talking for a few minutes the pair shared a quick kiss. That caused something to fall into place in Jasper's observant mind.

'No wonder the captain didn't stop Rubellite from humiliating me. They're…together…kind of like...'

Jasper paused in her thoughts. She knew exactly where her thoughts were leading. She also knew that it was all just wishful thinking. She had to admit to herself that she and Tiger-eye were nothing more than friends, but she also couldn't deny her desire for their friendship to be something more. Upon further consideration that seemed impossible because the chances of her ever seeing Tiger-eye again were slim at best. She was literally thrown out of the Cloisters and threatened with serious bodily harm if she ever returned. The situation seemed rather depressing, but Jasper was not the type to give up so easily. She decided that after this purge she would find a way to see that lovely Gem once again.

Next Chapter: Purge


	7. Chapter 7: Purge

Chapter 7: Purge

The time had finally come for the first wave of Gem warriors to go to the surface of Praxiz. All soldiers present, great and small, donned their armor and summoned their weapons. Captain Red Beryl warped first along with four other Gems. The rest of the first wave also warped in groups of five. Rubellite warped with the final group, which included Jasper, who wasn't thrilled about being grouped with the chain smoking lieutenant, but she managed to put her misgivings aside to focus on the mission.

Soon the first wave was in place. They surrounded the perimeter of the Kindergarten site. Captain Red Beryl dispatched the Scouts to search for signs of any Praxians. Several of them returned with intel that the natives had established an encampment northwest of the inactive Kindergarten. After taking in all of the information gathered by the Scouts, Red Beryl and the first wave made their move. The Praxian encampment was fairly quiet with only a couple natives on watch. The Gem soldiers quickly dispatched them. Unfortunately there was a third Praxian on guard further within the encampment who managed to sound the alarm seconds before being decapitated. The Gem soldiers moved swiftly through the camp slaughtering many of the natives who were still disoriented and groggy from sleep. Some of the Praxians managed to fight back using metallic projectile weapons. While these weapons could cause devastating injury to organic lifeforms, they were nothing but a minor annoyance to the Gems. A few of the Praxians were desperate enough to use knives and blunt objects to try to fight off the more powerful sentient beings. Very few of the natives escaped the massacre, and the few that did didn't escape unscathed.

Even after the Praxian soldiers were driven away from the Kindergarten site and into the more populated civilian areas, the Gems didn't stop there. They had orders to carry out a purge, which meant wipe out as many of the local residents as possible to prevent future interference with Homeworld's plans. Gem warriors were known for taking any orders given by their superiors very seriously, and to carry out those orders thoroughly. The Homeworld military campaign went on for months with consistency due to the rotations of the first and second waves of invasion. The Gem's superior weapons, lack of a need for sleep or food, and the apathetic way they dealt with the Praxians had driven the native inhabitants into hiding underground in fear. Once the Gems concluded that there would no longer be interference with their plans, Homeworld resumed building the remote Kindergarten. About half of the Gem soldiers were ordered to remain on patrol around the Kindergarten until the time of Harvest.

The completion of the remote Kindergarten was progressing fairly well with no interference from the Praxians. At least it seemed that way. Most of the soldiers weren't concerned about any type of retaliation, but a few of the Gems remained vigilant and refused to let their guard down. One was Lt. Rubellite. Even after the purge she had continued to send out Scouts to gather intel on any activity by the locals. The Scouts had tried and failed to gain access to the Praxian underground facilities. One of those Scouts was crushed when she fell into a trap while trying to go through a false door in a cave nearby. Rubellite suggested to her partner, Red Beryl, that they beef up security in and around the underground control room for the Kindergarten.

For a few more months things were quiet on Praxiz until one fateful day when the Gems on the surface saw something strange in the sky. An odd looking projectile was launched into the atmosphere where it exploded with a loud boom followed by eerie silence. Moments later a strange, black substance rained down from the sky. Red Beryl gave the order for the soldiers to take shelter before being drenched in the black rain. Those who were exposed to the black rain immediately cleansed their body constructs, not sure if the weird substance was harmless or not. None of them were aware of the horrors that were to follow that brief exposure.

It was business as usual for three weeks until a few Gems started to display strange behavior. Several of the engineers would be going over the site specs when they would suddenly start babbling nonsense. Other Gems would shapeshift for no apparent reason into strange, contorted, and often unidentifiable forms. Things got so disturbing that Capt. Red Beryl and Lt. Rubellite spent much of their time investigating the strange happenings. After six weeks things took a horrific turn. Gems were turning up with strange dark specks in their gems. Capt. Red Beryl examined the gem of one of the engineers working on the Kindergarten. She called her partner over to have a look as well.

"Ru, do you see that?"

"Yeah, I see it Ree-B. What the fuck is that thing?"

"I have no idea…." Both soldiers recoiled at the sight of the dark spot moving inside of the engineer's gem. The engineer flinched in pain as the pair back away from her. "What the hell was that?"

"The hell if I know!" Rubellite shouted. "Babe, we gotta report this to White Diamond. This is some fuckin' crazy shit right here!" The Captain agreed and sent the infected engineer to her temporary quarters and made an emergency report to her superior. Things got progressively worse as they awaited orders from Homeworld about what to do. More and more Gems were turning up with that dark thing growing and wriggling within their gems, causing discomfort, which evolved into stabbing pain, and then outright torturous convulsions until the dark, wriggling things shattered gems from within. Eventually the Homeworld Research Institute contacted them with orders to warp directly into the facility, and to bubble any shattered Gems.

Capt. Red Beryl immediately gave the order to shut the Kindergarten down and evacuate the facility. The rest of the engineers were sent back first, and then the troops were sent back in groups of ten. Lt. Rubellite kept an eye on her partner as the troops warped back to Homeworld. By the time the last group of troops boarded the warp pad, Red Beryl was gripping her left shoulder in pain.

"Ree-B, what's going on?" Rubellite rushed over to help her partner back to her feet.

"Ru, you're gonna have to finish evacuating the rest. I can't take this pain anymore!" When the Captain collapsed on the ground Jasper started to go help the pair, but Rubellite ordered the Ensign to get on the warp pad and leave with the rest of the group. Jasper hesitated for a few seconds then obeyed the order. Right before the last of the troops were caught up in the warp stream, Jasper glanced back at the pair of partner's in distress. Rubellite held the now incoherent Red Beryl in her arms until the Captain's construct collapsed leaving nothing but a shattered and marred Gem in her shocked partner's hands. That horrifying image and the sorrowful sound of Rubellite mourning was forever seared into Jasper's memory.

All of the evacuated Gems were immediately quarantined in The Institute. Those who clearly showed signs of infection were immediately crushed and disposed of. After all tests were completed and all Gems that were discovered to be infected were destroyed, 80% of the Gems that had served on Praxiz were destroyed. It was a devastating loss. The whole time Jasper spent in quarantine her thoughts were on Tiger-eye. If she didn't make it through this quarantine process she would never see Tiger-eye again, and the pretty Gem would most likely never know what happened to the soldier. However, if Jasper did survive this ordeal, there still was no guarantee that she would be reunited with Tiger-eye. It seemed hopeless either way, and it was tearing Jasper apart inside. As her mind reeled as she tried to figure out what to do, an Institute worker showed up at the door to her quarters. Jasper assumed that the document in the Gem's hand was her test results. As the white Gem entered the room, Jasper stood and looked her directly in the eyes, steeling herself to receive whatever news she had, whether good or bad.

"Today is the end of your quarantine, Ensign Jasper. Also, your results are in. You tested negative for the Praxiz Parasite. Congratulations. You're free to go."

Jasper took a moment to determine if she was hearing things right. It was only a brief moment, because after that she didn't waste any time getting out of that place. It turns out that out of the hundreds of Gems that were sent to Praxiz only fifty survived. Jasper, Carnelian, and several other survivors from their squad returned to the Western Military Complex with understandably low morale. The whole ordeal was a heavy blow to the troops, and its effects could be felt throughout the whole platoon. Those who survived developed a close bond and would comfort and support one another to cope with the psychological damage. The emotional support sometimes led to more physical expressions of connections for Jasper and several other Gems. Those interactions didn't last very long because the encounters never felt quite right to her. Her thoughts always went back to that red Tiger-eye. At the same time those thoughts made Jasper feel irritated, mostly at herself, because she had no idea how to find Tiger-eye. If she dared to go back to the Cloisters Master Jet would most likely do whatever it took to destroy her. And Jasper definitely doubted she was prepared for another encounter with Onyx. That encounter was just one of many she'd rather forget. Yet there was still a part of her that was determined to see Tiger-eye again, no matter the cost. That part of Jasper truly frightened her. She wondered what it was about Tiger-eye that that had such a hold on her. Was it her smile, or her sweet voice, or how she would become shy whenever Jasper complimented her, or her thoughtfulness…? Or maybe, just maybe it was all of that and more.

Jasper wasn't the only one who had a certain Gem on her mind. Back at The Cloisters, Tiger-eye was in her quarters tending to a tender spot on her right breast. After some extreme psychological testing (which she viewed as just torture) Master Jet had branded her with the official seal of the Dark Cross Guild. Tiger-eye hadn't been so sure she'd make it through the process since it had such a profound effect on her. Master Jet had taken her and her teammates to the dreaded Institute to further test their ability to have complete control of their emotions. The trio had no idea what to expect when they were escorted into an observation room. Milky Quartz appeared to know what they were about to witness on the other side of the thick panes of glass. The large open room was equipped with piston-like machines arranged side by side. One by one white Gems wearing hazmat gear entered the room carrying bubbled Gems. Tiger-eye watched with a growing sense of dread as each bubbled Gem was released from her container and placed in a cylinder. Soon, one by one the helpless Gems were crushed within the cylinders by a piston. Tiger-eye could feel herself trembling as it took everything within her to hold in a horrified scream. After the remains of that batch of Gems was disposed of, the next group of bubbled Gems was brought in and the process was repeated. Once the Gems were un-bubbled Tiger-eye just about fainted when she saw a Gem with a very similar shape and color to a certain soldier she had grown quite fond of get crushed into shards. Fortunately she managed to stay on her feet while the Guild Master observed all of their reactions closely.

After the teammates went through that extremely uncomfortable and just plain horrible experience, Master Jet asked each of them point blank if they were still willing to become official members of the Dark Cross Guild. Each of them said yes, each for their own personal reasons. Tiger-eye knew that if she turned back now she would be sent back to the Tiger House, and there was no way in hell she was going back there. That very day Jade, Milky Quartz, and Tiger-eye received the brand of a Dark Cross Assassin on their right breasts. The branding process was very painful. Tiger-eye managed not to scream in pain, but it was impossible for her to hold back her tears. Now that she was branded she knew there was no turning back. At any moment in time she could be summoned to put her weapons, two tessen (metal war fans) to use to assassinate defective Gems marked for destruction. It was a heavy price to pay to be able to live her life free of the constraints of the Tiger House. She couldn't help but get a sinking feeling in her gut though. What would Jasper, the one Gem that had become dear to her, think of her now?

Next chapter: Dirty East Shuffle


	8. Chapter 8: Dirty East Shuffle

**AN: Dear readers, sorry for the long delay for the update. I'm dealing with health issues right now so I've been quite distracted. As always feedback is welcome. I hope you enjoy this chapter.**

Chapter 8: Dirty East Shuffle

It was a typical day in the life of an assassin. It was a concerted effort for Team Tiger-eye to track down an elusive defective Gem in an established remote Gem colony. This particular Gem had become a pain in the ass to the team. In spite of being defective she was very adept at shapeshifting into common mundane objects. A restless and irritable Milky Quartz searched throughout the alien forest trying to pinpoint the location of the elusive Gem.

"Uhg, I give up!" Milky grumbled as she threw her hands in the air. "I'm sick of looking for this bitch. Let's just accept that we failed our mission so we can take our punishment and move on." Milky Quartz then trudged out of the lush forest in a huff until all was deathly quiet. A little while later, the fugitive Gem changed from the form of a fern to her default form. Her smug expression indicated that she assumed she had achieved her goal of escaping the assassins. She couldn't have been more wrong. Before she took three steps a tall, silent form was behind her. There was a sudden quiet whoosh accompanied by a tiny glint of metal. Seconds later both of the fugitive's arms fell to the ground, cleanly sliced from her body. Before that situation could even register in her mind another shadow appeared in front of her producing a ninjato, which was used to slice her upwards from between her legs all the way up to her chin. Both actions were fast as lightning, thorough, and effective. Once the now poofed Gem was lying on the forest floor, Milky Quartz leapt straight from above, her sai in hand, to cleave the Gem in two. Milky then bubbled the shattered Gem and sent the remains to the proper destination. The trio immediately split up again to meet at a certain rendezvous point before returning to the Cloisters. Team Tiger-eye always made a point to cover their tracks to avoid discovery.

Back at the Cloisters, Team Tiger-eye gave a detailed report to Master Jet. She seemed quite pleased with their results.

"Tiger-eye, did any of you leave signs of your presence?"

"No, Master Jet."

"Excellent. This team has exceled beyond expectation. You've gotten to a point that I think it's about time you three went on solo missions."

"Solo?" Jade whispered with a quirk of her brow. "You're splitting up the team?"

"Why yes. It's about time the three of you learned to handle missions on your own. In fact, I've been making plans for that for some time. Have a seat." The team respectfully sat before their Guild Master giving her their undivided attention. "Milky Quartz, I'm sending you back north to work at The Institute. Howlite is having issues with defective Gems escaping. I have a feeling they have help on the inside, and you'll be the perfect Gem to find out who it is. Jade, you'll be heading back to the Research Hub. Emerald is in need of a competent assistant so I think you'll be perfect. As for you, Tiger-eye, you'll be going to the newest settlement in the east. Commander Bloodstone is in need of workers of all kinds, including metallurgists, to work in the underground plant. You are one of the best blacksmiths on Homeworld, in my opinion, so I'm sure you'll do extremely well. Now, remember, although you'll be working in separate areas I still want you to maintain communications with each other. No matter what cover you're assigned to, you are still Dark Cross Assassins. So, always be prepared to take out a mark at any time. That being said, you have until the end of this month to go to your assigned base of operations. I have high expectations for all of you. Good luck."

After the debriefing, Team Tiger-eye decided to meet up in the library. All three of them were still coming to grips with the fact that after working together for so long they would now have to part ways. Tiger-eye felt a bit sad about that, but didn't voice her feelings about the situation. Milky Quartz did speak up about her thoughts on it though.

"Is it just me, or was the purpose all of our training up to this point just to prepare us for this? It seems to me that the rules about controlling our emotions and not having any emotional attachments benefits us in a way. There won't be any tearful goodbyes to deal with, no unrequited love or any such nonsense, or complaints about our assignments. We can each focus on the task at hand and move on without any baggage."

"You may be right, Milky," Jade added. "I also find it interesting that we've come full circle. We're being sent back to our roots."

"Speak for yourself. I'm going to a place that's totally new and unfamiliar," Tiger-eye stated. "I have no idea what to expect since I've never been there before."

"At least you're going somewhere exciting and new. You have no idea how boring it is up north. It can be mind numbing. The only interesting thing that happens there is when Gem's try to escape The Institute." Milky Quartz shook her head with a chuckle. "All this makes it seem like it was a waste of my time to do all I could to get away from that place. Oh well, just have to make the most of it I guess."

Jade gave her teammate a sympathetic pat on the shoulder. For the next few weeks Team Tiger-eye tied up loose ends at The Cloisters and devised a plan to keep in touch with each other after going their separate ways. On the day of their departure their parting was pretty low key. They gave each other respectful bow and quickly flashed the secret hand signal of the Dark Cross. Tiger-eye headed east with a sense of excitement and apprehension to join the current migration of Gems to the newly established Eastern Military Complex.

A few hours later the blacksmith arrived on the local warp pad with nine other Gems from other colonies. Once she stepped down from the warp pad she could see a massive volcano surround by a vast lava field in the distance. She could already see hundreds of Gems gathered around a cave-like opening. Before them stood a tall Gem with blood red and greenish-black colorings with her hair in cornrows. She had a very powerful build and a commanding presence. Tiger-eye assumed that this must be Commander Bloodstone, the founder of Eastern Military Complex R-6.

At the time there was nothing major going on, since they were all still waiting for the rest of the migrants to arrive. Tiger-eye settled down in the crowd next to a Gem she didn't know. She was pretty short with red-violet and pink colorings. Her pretty, round face contrasted with her severe Mohawk hairstyle and eye patch on her right eye. Tiger-eye found it interesting how the smaller Gem managed to be cute and intimidating at the same time. The Gem smoked a cigarette as she watched others settle into the crowd, until she eventually turned toward Tiger-eye with a smile.

"You know it's been a while since I got stared at by a pretty Gem like you…"

"Oh, I'm sorry! I didn't mean to stare," Tiger-eye stammered.

"It's ok. I understand. I'm irresistible," the little Gem chuckled as she put out her cigarette. "I'm Spinel. From your looks I'm assuming you're a Tiger-eye."

"Yeah, you're right…how did you…?"

"I've hung around Elites. In fact, my former partner was an Elite." Spinel's smile faltered for a moment before she continued. "Anyway, what's a Tiger-eye doing out here with the unwashed masses?"

"I'm actually here to work. You see, I'm a blacksmith, and it turns out Commander Bloodstone needs Gems with my skills." Spinel looked Tiger-eye up and down as she shook her head and smiled.

"Just when I thought I'd seen it all, here's a Tiger-eye who's willing to get her hands dirty and make a decent living. I find that…refreshing. It's very nice to meet you, Tiger-eye. Welcome to the Dirty East."

"Thanks. So, are you just moving here?"

"Nah. I've been here for about a year helping Commander Bloodstone get things up and running. I'm just waiting for the rest of the new Gems to get here before we start orientation." Spinel then turned to see another group of Gems coming down from the local warp pad. "Well now, it looks like some more soldiers have shown up. Let see how many I recognize from my active duty days."

Having nothing else better to do at the time, Tiger-eye had a look at the group as well. The blacksmith didn't recognize most of the soldiers until the fifth group of ten stepped down from the warp pad. This particular group consisted of mostly taller Gems. In the midst were two Gems that she immediately recognized. She could never forget Carnelian's smug smile, cocky strut, and outgoing personality. Although she looked a lot more muscular than before, she seemed to be the same old Carnelian. Jasper was there as well. Although her hair was a lot longer now and her build looked even more impressive than Tiger-eye remembered, she could never forget those beautiful golden eyes. Walking directly to Jasper's right was a Gem Tiger-eye didn't recognize at first until the group got a little closer. She was just a few inches shorter than Jasper, had mostly red colorings with yellow accents and lovely yellow-orange hair. Once she got closer Tiger-eye could see yellow freckles on her cheeks. Her multi-faceted gem with a shield cut was placed in the center of her abdomen. Once Tiger-eye saw the freckles and cut of her gem the blacksmith finally recognized her as Andesine. The Andesine Tiger-eye remembered was nowhere nearly as curvy…or sexy…as the Gem she saw now. Tiger-eye was curious and a bit confused by something else she saw. Andesine wasn't just walking next to Jasper. She had her arm locked with Jasper's right and was leaning up against the other soldier. Tiger-eye watched as the pair sat down several yards away. Andesine rested her head on Jasper's right shoulder. Jasper seemed oblivious to this gesture, but seeing that caused Tiger-eye to get a sickening feeling. She did her best to hide it, but she must have failed at it, because the Gem sitting next to her seemed to notice.

"Hey, Tiger-eye, you ok? You don't look so good." Tiger-eye snapped her head back around at the sound of Spinel's voice.

"I'm fine. I just saw someone I hadn't seen in a while."

"Oh…if you want to go over and say hi, you've got time."

"No! No, it's ok. That can wait for later. She looks kinda busy anyway." Tiger-eye glanced back at Jasper to see Andesine still snuggling up against her while rubbing Jasper's bicep. Tiger-eye quickly looked away as she felt a wrenching, twisted feeling in her chest. She didn't understand what was going on with her. Why was she feeling so angry and hurt? Why, after all that training in The Cloisters, was she losing control of her emotions? And why couldn't she bring herself to even go say hello to her friend that she hadn't seen in quite a while? Tiger-eye was so caught up in her emotional turmoil she didn't notice Spinel watching her closely. Soon all the migrants were present, so Bloodstone called to all of her lieutenants to gather at the front to begin the orientation. Tiger-eye was pulled from her brooding when she felt a tap on her shoulder.

"Hey, I gotta go up here to start the orientation. It was nice talking to you. By the way, I hope whatever's got your face all screwed up gets resolved. Take it easy, Tiger-eye." The blacksmith quietly thanked the lieutenant as she made her way to the front of the crowd. As the orientation began Tiger-eye continued to struggle with her conflicting feelings. She wanted to go over to Jasper to at least say hello, but at the same time she wanted to crawl into a hole and retreat into her Gem. She felt like something that she wanted so badly had been taken away from her before she even had a chance to have it in the first place.

Tiger-eye finally worked up the courage to look at Jasper one more time. This time the blacksmith and the soldier's eyes met. Jasper had a momentary look of surprise before she smiled and waved. Tiger-eye frowned and quickly turned away as she fought a feeling of outrage that suddenly bubbled up within her. Tiger-eye didn't even notice the confused and slightly hurt expression on Jasper's face as she struggled to bury her roiling emotions. She focused on Commander Bloodstone's instructions. She decided to concentrate on getting settled in her new life to deal with her issue with Jasper another time.

Soon the migrants were split up into groups of twenty and led to several massive elevators that lead to the underground complex. As Tiger-eyes group filed onto the platform she felt a heavy hand on her shoulder. She turned to see a familiar pair of golden eyes and a smiling face framed by soft, light colored locks.

"Hey there, Tiger-eye. I wasn't expecting to see you here. It's kinda crazy how we keep crossing paths like this."

"Oh, hi, Jasper. You look…good."

"Thanks, but I don't look as good as you."

"Thank you."

Jasper paused noting the sad tone to Tiger-eyes voice.

"Are you ok?"

"Yeah…" As Jasper gently took hold of Tiger-eye's hand she noticed her friend was avoiding eye contact.

"Listen, I'm assigned to Tower 7 on the fifth floor. Once you get settled in maybe we can get together later to catch up." Tiger-eye mulled over Jasper's offer when she noticed Andesine standing a few feet away while glaring at her.

"Umm…I'll think about it. I gotta go." Tiger-eye slipped her hand out of Jasper's grasp to step onto the elevator. As the doors closed Jasper could see that her friend was still avoiding eye contact for some reason. It was really bothering her, since it seemed like Tiger-eye didn't want to be around her. She wondered if too much time had passed since they last saw each other causing her to become cold towards her. Or maybe something happened at the Cloisters that caused a profound change. Whatever happened, Jasper knew that her feelings towards Tiger-eye hadn't changed, and she was hoping to finally get an opportunity to express her feelings to the shy, reddish brown Gem. Jasper was determined to not let this chance slip away. She wasn't the type to just wait for opportunities to fall into her lap. She was the type of Gem that made things happen. Somehow Tiger-eye had become very important to her, and Jasper was going to do whatever it took to let her know it.

Next Chapter: Bridging the Gap


	9. Chapter 9: Bridging the Gap

Chapter 9: Bridging the Gap

Getting a new Gem colony up and running could be a bit chaotic. Fortunately, the well-liked and popular Commander Bloodstone was fully prepared for this particular group of migrants. She trusted her very competent lieutenants to get the job done. One of those trusted lieutenants was standing on top of a rock formation answering questions and directing Gems to their permanent residences. Jasper thought the little lieutenant looked familiar, so she polled her companions to see if they thought the same.

"Hey, do you guys think the lieutenant looks like Rubellite?"

"Eh, besides the height I don't see much similarity," Carnelian replied. "Besides, this one's personality is completely different. She's friendly and pleasant to talk to while Rubellite was one sour ass bitch. She was a beast on the battlefield but, wow, did her attitude suck."

"Well, there's one way to make sure," Andesine offered before shouting out to the Gem in question. She called out Rubellite's name but the lieutenant didn't even look their way. "Hmph, she didn't even look this way so, nope. That ain't Rubellite, just some random Gem from the Southern Complex."

"Oh well, my mistake I guess." Jasper grew quiet when she spotted Tiger-eye amongst a small group of Gems talking with Spinel. She made a bee-line for the blacksmith when Andesine called out to her.

"Jas, I think our building is that way. The lieutenant told us odds on the left, evens on the right."

"I know. I'll be back. This'll only take a second."

Spinel and Tiger-eye were wrapping up their conversation as Jasper approached.

"Hey there…uh…"

"It's Jasper."

"Oh yeah! Tiger-eye was just telling me about you!" a smiling Spinel interjected.

"Really?" Jasper shot Tiger-eye a questioning look as the blacksmith did her best not to show her inner panic. "Is it safe to assume she told you all good things?"

"Yup. Seems she's pretty impressed with you."

"That's definitely good to hear. Why don't you tell me all about it, Tiger-eye?" After a few seconds of nervous stammering the nervous Gem managed to reply.

"Uh…sure."

"Great! Tower 8 is straight ahead on the right. After you get settled you'll have plenty of free time to explore. Have fun!"

"That sounds like an excellent idea. How about it, Tiger-eye?" Tiger-eye briefly gave the offer some thought as she watched Spinel over Jasper's shoulder giving her a thumb's up.

"Sure. I'm game."

"Great. I'm in Tower 7 and you're in Tower 8, so why don't we meet in the courtyard between the buildings in an hour?" The blacksmith readily agreed as the pair walked side by side towards their destinations. Jasper decided to strike up a conversation to put the seemingly nervous Tiger-eye at ease. "You know, I'm curious. What brought you down here to the Eastern Complex?"

"Work. I'm a full-fledged blacksmith. I heard that Commander Bloodstone needed Gems with my skills so here I am." She flashed a humble smile at the soldier. Jasper had waited a long time to see that smile again, and couldn't help but smile back. "What about you, Jasper?"

Jasper grew quiet for a moment before answering.

"My situation is kind of complicated. Some of us were sent her from the West on limited capacity for…classified reasons."

Tiger-eye lowered her voice and leaned in close to ask another question.

"Does it have anything to do with what happened on Praxiz?"

Jasper stopped in her tracks, her eyes narrowed in suspicion.

"How do you know about what went on there?"

"Well, word got around out West and…I have a friend that works at the Institute…" Tiger-eye didn't feel comfortable lying to Jasper about how she knew, but it was part of her training as a Dark Cross assassin. Although it was true she had a friend that works at The Homeworld Research Institute, she knew fully well that wasn't how she got the information.

"Oh…so then you kind of understand my situation, right?"

"Yeah. I'm really glad you came out of there ok." Jasper responded with a warm smile and a kiss on Tiger-eye's cheek.

"I'll see you in an hour, ok?" Tiger-eye nodded shyly as she attempted to hide her blush. While the blacksmith tried to compose herself, she didn't notice another taller Gem approaching her from a few yards away. The slightly taller Gem was about five feet away from her before Tiger-eye noticed her. Andesine once again was giving Tiger-eye a cold glare. The only difference this time was that the freckle faced beauty actually spoke to the blacksmith.

"What's up, Tiger-eye?"

"Uh, hey, Andesine. What's up with you?" Andesine scoffed with a flip of her luxurious locks

"Listen, I don't have time for small talk, so I'll get right to it. What's up with you and Jasper?"

"Huh…I was going to ask the same of you."

"Oh really?" Andesine chuckled as she regarded the shorter Gem with a sneer. "If you must know, Jasper and I have a…special relationship."

"What's that supposed to…?"

"Ah, ah, ah…I'm not finished. I guess you're all excited that Jasper is giving your dumpy ass some attention, but I'm here to let you know you should curb your enthusiasm. Now listen carefully, because I'm going to tell you like I told the other three. You're not special. Jasper is not going to sweep you off your feet and take you to the stars and back. Yeah, she might be interested in messin' around for a little while, but that's it. Jasper has her fun now and then, and that's cool, but she always comes back to _me_. Can you blame her though? Look at me. I'm fabulous, strong, and _hot_. On the other hand, you are just a skinny bitch with average tits and a face that looks like it was scraped from the bottom of a drudge pit. So my advice to you is enjoy the little bit of attention from Jasper while you can, cuz in the end you're nothing but a side piece."

A slack jawed Tiger-eye stared at Andesine in silence for a solid minute as she processed her very insulting and quite rude 'advice.'

' _This bitch doesn't know who she's fuckin' with. The problem is if I do let her know, that would blow my cover. Damn! She has no idea how lucky she is that I didn't slice her head off right now!'_

"Look, Andesine, I don't know why you think you can just come at me like that out of nowhere for no reason. I haven't done anything to you. In fact this is the first time I've spoken to you in a long ass time. So why don't we just end this…discussion, or whatever you want to call it, and agree to not talk to each other and let Jasper decide who's a side piece."

"I…"

"Bitch, I said I'm done talking to you! Now get the fuck outta my face!" Andesine looked quite taken by surprise by Tiger-eye's outburst. The quiet Gem seemed so mild mannered that the dramatic change in her tone was quite jarring. Before Andesine could say another word, the seething Tiger-eye quickly made her way to her permanent residence. The blacksmith knew she had to get some distance between her and the saucy soldier before things got out of hand. Once in her personal quarters she flopped down on her knees to brood a bit. She soon realized that brooding wasn't helping so she decided to contact a friend she knew would be able to help calm her down. Once she activated and set up her personal com station in her quarters, she contacted her stoic teammate who had moved back to the Central Hub.

"Jade here. State your business."

"Hi, Jade. Hope I didn't catch you at a bad time."

"Oh, hello, Tiger-eye. I wasn't expecting to hear from you so soon. How are things going for you?" The blacksmith responded with a groan as she slid her hand down her face. "Oh my…things aren't going too well?" Jade asked in her usual deadpan tone.

"I was doing ok until I let my emotions get a little out of hand. Fortunately I didn't draw attention to myself and managed to get myself together." She clasped her hands as if she were about to pray as she continued. "Jade, there's this one Gem that managed to push all the wrong buttons. She had me all in my feelings, and I don't like that shit. It took everything within me not to cut the bitch's head off. I called you so I can vent. I know you can handle it because you're calm, and you can handle a whole lot of crazy coming your way without battin' an eye. So, Jade, please give me one good reason why I shouldn't hunt that bitch down in the dead of night and remove her head from her body."

"Tiger-eye, look at me." The young assassin looked directly at the com station screen. "Did anyone see or hear your…conversation with this particular Gem?"

"Yeah, probably. There were plenty of others walking around."

"So, it's safe to assume that if any harm came to that Gem suspicion would fall right on you. You're Dark Cross, so you definitely don't want to come under any scrutiny of any kind. That could blow your cover. So, my advice to you is to quietly meditate on your mantra and calm your emotions. No Gem, no matter how annoying, frustrating, or rage inducing she is, is worth blowing your cover."

"You know what, Jade? You're right. I can't let her get to me anymore. From now on I'm just going to tune her out and just let her stupid taunts just roll off my back. Thanks for the pep talk, Jade."

"Glad I could be of help. Now I must return to my duties to Madame Emerald."

"Hey, Jade, how's that going for you so far?"

"Just…dandy." After ending their conversation, Tiger-eye could have sworn she saw a small smile on Jade's face.

"Ok…that was kind of creepy," she mumbled as she formed an inner room within her quarters so she could meditate.

Meanwhile, Jasper was in her quarters arranging this to her tastes. One corner of her residence was reserved for strength training, another for rock climbing, and another corner was for sparring. And then there was an area set aside for special occasions. It was quiet, cozy, and perfect for setting a romantic mood for two. Jasper looked the room over while wondering if a certain Gem would like it. She smiled when she couldn't think of one reason why she wouldn't like it, and got excited at the thought of spending time there with that one Gem she had in mind. Her thoughts were interrupted by the sound of someone at her door. She opened the entrance with a smile, which was quickly replaced with a disappointed expression at the sight of the Gem before her.

"What the hell is that face supposed to mean?"

"Hey, Andie, wasn't expecting to see you."

"And why not, Jas?" Andesine asked as she pushed past Jasper to have a look at the soldier's new home. "Wow, babe, this is an awesome set-up!"

"Thanks. I'd love to give you a tour, but I gotta go…"

"Aww…but I just got here." Andesine grabbed Jasper by the waist and pulled her close. "Don't leave yet. I'm sure there's time for us to have some fun." Andesine punctuated her offer with a soft kiss on the lips. Jasper gently pulled from Andesine's embrace and held her at arm's length.

"I need to leave. I'm supposed to be meeting someone, ok?"

"Oh yeah? Who is it?"

"That's none of your concern, Andie. Now get out of here." Jasper escorted a not so happy looking Andesine out of her door before securing her quarters. "Andie, I have to go, so whatever issue you're having is gonna have to wait…" Andesine grabbed Jasper by the arm and turned her to face her.

"Look, Jas, I don't have a problem with your little…recreational activities. Just don't forget to come see me tonight. I'm in 402, in case you forgot. Later." Andesine gave Jasper one more, very sensual parting kiss before heading back to her quarters. As Jasper turned to head down to meet Tiger-eye in the courtyard she was surprised to see the pretty Gem standing on the foot bridge that connected the two buildings. Tiger-eye looked a bit confused and hurt. One foot was on the fifth floor of Tower 7 while the other was still on the bridge. Her stance made it clear that she was deciding whether she step off of the bridge or head right back where she came from. Jasper made it to her in time to prevent her from making the latter choice.

"Hey, Tiger-eye. I wasn't expecting you to come all the way over here. What happened to meeting in the courtyard?"

"I…uh…thought it might be easier if we just met at your place, but it looks like you're kinda busy, so…" Tiger-eye took one step back before Jasper grabbed her hand.

"No, no, I'm not busy. In fact all I have planned for today is to spend time with you."

"Really?"

"Yes, really."

As Tiger-eye hesitated Jasper inwardly hoped and prayed that the elusive Gem wouldn't disappear on her once again. Jasper was relieved when the blacksmith relaxed and squeezed her hand in return.

"Why don't we come inside so we can talk?"

"That…sounds good to me. I hope you're ready to answer a lot of questions."

With a nervous chuckle and a shrug of her shoulders, Jasper escorted Tiger-eye into her home. She was willing to answer any and every question that sweet Gem could think of. She finally had Tiger-eye all to herself, so she couldn't complain.

Next Chapter: The Open Door


	10. Chapter 10: The Open Door

**AN: As some of you might know, I enjoy cosplay. Since 2009 I have been faithfully attending Otakon in Baltimore, MD. I usually cosplay as Baiken from Guilty Gear, Suigintou from Rozen Maiden, and The Baroness from G.I. Joe. As of yesterday I'm planning on doing something new for my cosplay. I want to cosplay as Tiger-eye from 'All That Matters.' I want to wear her concubine outfit from when she lived in the Tiger House. I was just wondering if there are any Jasper cosplayers out there who will be at Otakon 2016. I would really love to get some pics with you at the con. This is really exciting for me, because this will be the first time I will be cosplaying one of my OC's! Now to figure out how to make a gemstone for the small of my back...**

 **ReaderOfBooks, your recent review got me all fired up and inspired! I hope you enjoy this chapter!**

 **Anyway, this chapter has a cameo of an OC designed by Deer-Head on deviantArt. You should check out Deer-Head's DA page. I love the designs of all those OC's. Ametrine, Jet, and Blue Quartz are my favorites so far. Now, on with the story!**

Chapter 10: The Open Door

Things were looking up for a certain Gem soldier. The Gem that had caught her eye since the first time she saw her had accepted her invitation into her home. Jasper took the time to show Tiger-eye around. The soldier couldn't help but smile at the sweet Gem's adorable reaction to seeing the set-up.

"Damn, Jasper, I'm lovin' this place! It's like you got your own private training grounds in here! This might seem like a weird question, but can I come over sometimes to spar?"

"Honey, you can come over any time to do whatever you want. Just say the word."

Tiger-eye squealed with joy as she continued to look around. Soon she came across a display case showcasing medals of recognition from Jasper's military service. Front and center of the display was a dagger Tiger-eye remembered all too well.

"You…still have this?" Tiger-eye asked in amazement as she picked up the blade she had forged with her own hands centuries before.

"Of course I do. Why wouldn't I keep a gift from someone very special to me?"

Jasper draped an arm over Tiger-eye's shoulder as the blacksmith placed the dagger back in the trophy case. The soldier then gently pulled Tiger-eye closer to kiss her lightly on the lips. The kiss was soft and sweet, and took Tiger-eye completely by surprise. Jasper then turned Tiger-eye to face her, cupping the reddish-brown beauty's face in her hands. She then gave the shy Gem a kiss so passionate that Tiger-eye felt as if she would melt into a puddle right then and there. As Jasper deepened the kiss she glided her hand down Tiger-eye's back until she reached the gem in the small of her back. Jasper smiled at Tiger-eye's soft moan as the soldier massaged her smooth gem with her thumb. This caused Tiger-eye to arch her back, pushing their bodies even closer. Jasper decided to take things even further as she slid her hand even lower. Tiger-eye suddenly stiffened and pushed herself out of Jasper's embrace.

"W-what are you doing?"

"I thought it was pretty obvious."

Tiger-eye began nervously pacing back and forth while Jasper was a little confused by her reaction.

"Umm, Jasper, why did you just touch me like that?"

"You didn't like it?"

"I don't know! I've never been touched like that before!" Tiger-eye grew silent as she hung her head in embarrassment. "I've never…done _stuff_ with another Gem in my whole life. You probably think I'm weird, huh?"

Jasper stifled her snickering at the adorable way Tiger-eye referred to intimate relations. Just about everything the blacksmith said and did was impossibly cute in Jasper's eyes.

"I, um, have to admit I am a bit surprised by that, but I don't think you're weird at all."

"Oh…well that's good to know. Jasper, can I ask you something personal?"

"Of course. What is it you'd like to know?"

"Have you… _done stuff_ with other Gems before?" Tiger-eye frowned when Jasper had a sudden fit of giggles. "What's so funny?"

"I'm sorry, but the way you talk is just so cute. I mean I've heard 'played with', 'messed around with', 'smashed', and even 'fucked', but the way you call it 'done stuff' is so adorable. But, yeah…I have _done stuff_ with other Gems before."

"Is Andesine one of them?"

Jasper's jovial demeanor suddenly changed to a serious one.

"Why are you asking about her?" Tiger-eye was a little annoyed that Jasper answered her question with a question, but she let it slide. "Did she say something to you?"

"Oh, she said a _whole lot_ of things to me."

"Like what?"

"Well, she said you two have a special relationship, and that there are three other Gems you…messed around with. What did she mean by 'special relationship' anyway?"

Jasper was quickly beginning to regret stating that she would answer any of Tiger-eye's questions. She really wanted to be honest with the pretty blacksmith, but on the flip side she worried that her honest answers may send Tiger-eye running. Jasper reluctantly decided to go with the truth.

"Andesine and I served in the same platoon on Praxiz along with several other soldiers from the West. After surviving the quarantine process our group of survivors stuck together. None of the other soldiers who hadn't been on Praxiz could understand what we had been through, so we became pretty close. That closeness sometimes led to…doing stuff every now and then."

"Oh, ok. So…when was the last time you and Andesine 'did stuff' together?"

' _By the Moon Goddess, why did she have to ask me that?'_ Jasper grumbled inwardly. The soldier sighed as she braced herself for Tiger-eye's reaction.

"The last time was…just a few days before we moved out here."

"Oh…I see. So, did you also want to 'do stuff' with me…just now?"

In Jasper's thoughts she screamed, 'hell yeah!' but she kept her composure and answered with a respectful, "Yes." Jasper got a bad feeling when she saw Tiger-eye inching towards the door.

"Ok. I'm gonna go now. I just need you to open the door…" Jasper took her by the hand, pleading for her not to leave.

"Tiger-eye, please don't go. I really want to spend more time with you."

"Jasper, I just wanna go now. Please don't take it personally. I've never done anything like that…and honestly, I'm not sure if I even want to."

Hearing those words from Tiger-eye was like a hard punch to the gut for Jasper. This definitely wasn't the direction she had hoped their relationship would go. Part of her wanted to scoop up Tiger-eye and carry her off to the love nest she designed with the pretty blacksmith in mind. Another part of her wanted to back off a bit and not pressure her into something she's not ready for.

"Do you just need some time to think about it?" Tiger-eye ducked her head and nodded shyly. "All right, that's reasonable." Jasper reluctantly opened her door, but not before giving Tiger-eye one last kiss. _'I really, really hope she doesn't leave me waiting much longer…,'_ Jasper pondered as she watched the sweet Tiger-eye walk away one more time. It was becoming a habit that the soldier desperately wanted to help her break.

Meanwhile, down in the courtyard, a certain lieutenant was engaged in some lighthearted flirting with another Gem named Ametrine. The comely Ametrine was about a foot taller than Spinel, had golden, light violet, and pink colorings, with a gem with a rectangular cut set in the back of her neck.

"I really like your hair," the little lieutenant complimented as she ran her fingers through Ametrine's short, pink locks.

"Why thank you. _Your_ hair is making quite a statement to me," Amertine teased.

"Oh really? What's it sayin' to you, sweetie?" Spinel asked with a grin as she fluffed her mowhawk.

"Hmmm. To me it says, 'In public I can be a total badass, but behind closed doors I'm just a submissive little doll.'"

"Well, damn! You got all that just from my hairstyle?"

"Yes."

"You know what?" Spinel leaned in close to make sure Ametrine didn't miss a word. "You were spot on about the real me. And you know what else? I gotta thing for Gems that are taller than me."

"Oh really?"

"Absolutely."

"So, you have a thing for a Gem like her?" Spinel followed Ametrine's pointing finger to a certain seven foot tall Gem making her way across the courtyard.

"I'm not gonna lie. Tiger-eye is pretty damn attractive. I've talked to her a few times, and she seems like such a sweetie." Once the blacksmith got closer Spinel noticed her troubled expression. The lieutenant called out to the brooding Gem and beckoned her with a wave of her hand. "Hey, Tiger-eye. How's it going?"

"Ok…I guess…"

"You don't seem too sure about that." She fiddled with the tassels on her harem pants as she glanced over at Ametrine, and then sat on the ground at the other Gems' feet.

"Is it ok if I ask you two for some advice?" Both Spinel and Ametrine readily agreed. Tiger-eye nervously fiddled with her hands as she gathered her thoughts. "Umm, there's a Gem that I like a lot, and I'm pretty sure she likes me back. There just one thing that's bothering me. She said she wants to… _do stuff_ with me…"

Tiger-eye paused and noticed Spinel and Ametrine's slightly confused expressions.

"Could you elaborate on what you mean by 'do stuff', please?" Spinel requested as she lit up a cigarette.

"You know…like…mess around…" Tiger-eye muttered as a blush flared up on her cheeks.

"You mean fuckin'?"

"Ugh! Way to ruin an adorable moment, Spinel!" Ametrine grumbled before giving Tiger-eye a sympathetic smile. "So, are you saying that the Gem you like has experience, but you don't have any, and that has you feeling some anxiety?"

"Y-yes."

"My goodness, you are just too precious! Now tell me, what are you most nervous about?"

"Well…does it…hurt?"

"Only if you're doin' it right," Spinel replied with a teasing chuckle.

"Spinel, stop it! You're just making her more nervous!"

"Ok, ok! I'll be serious since this will be your first time. No, it doesn't hurt. In fact, it feels pretty damn good. And once you add some shapeshifting to the mix that just makes it a million times better! But I suggest saving the shapeshifting for later on in the relationship."

"I'll, uh, keep that in mind. Thanks for the advice."

"No prob, Tiger. Jasper sure is one lucky Gem. If she ever mistreats you, you can always find me to beat some sense into her. And she'd better not put pressure on you to do something you're not ready for."

"Don't worry. She already told me that I can take my time….hold on…how did you know that Jasper is the Gem I like?"

"Maybe because you've been talking about her non-stop since you moved down here."

"I have?"

"Pretty much." Spinel took a long drag from her cigarette and gave Tiger-eye a playful wink.

"I'm sorry. That must have been really annoying of me." Ametrine patted the apologetic Gem on the head like she was a little Gemling.

"No need to apologize. I rarely come across a Gem like you who's excited, innocent, and eager to explore first love. It's just so cute!"

"Thanks." Tiger-eye stood before the more mature Gems and bowed politely before leaving their presence. Spinel and Ametrine continued their conversation.

"So, Ametrine, you wanna go to your place and… _do stuff_?" The taller Gem responded with a hearty laugh.

"You asked in such a cute way. How could I say 'no?' I've got some time before I have to report to my post, so c'mon, cutie."

While one pair of Gems was getting along, Jasper was trying to keep her frustration in check. The soldier sat on her floor cursing under her breath. Her brief encounter with Tiger-eye had left her in such a state. After being separated for centuries she finally got a chance to kiss and hold that lovely Gem just to have her slip from her embrace once again. Jasper was pulled from her brooding thoughts by the sound of someone at her door.

' _Please be my sweet Tiger-eye,'_ Jasper pleaded inwardly as her gem began to glow. Once again she was disappointed by the sight of a familiar freckled face.

"Andie, what are you doing here?"

"I just came by to see if you were back yet," Andesine explained as she sauntered in. Andesine turned towards Jasper to give her a good looking over. "Jas, you look pretty wound up. What's wrong?"

"I'm fine."

"No, no. I can tell that's not true." Andesine kneaded Jasper's shoulders with her strong fingers. "Damn, you feel tense. Maybe I should help you relax." When Andesine pulled Jasper close to kiss her lightly on the lips, the frustrated soldier couldn't deny that she was enjoying the attention. However, one fleeting thought of Tiger-eye snapped Jasper out of temptation. She held Andesine at arm's length then pushed her towards the door.

"Andie, I'm not in the mood, so could you please leave?"

"Wha…? Jas, what's gotten into you?"

"I don't feel like explaining, so just go."

Jasper pushed the confused and annoyed Andesine out of her door and let it shut without even a goodbye. Andesine cursed and yelled through the door for a few minutes before storming off. The antsy soldier sat back down in the middle of the floor, crossed her legs, and closed her eyes. She tried hard to calm her thoughts and relax, but just knowing that Tiger-eye was only one building away wasn't helping matters. All she had to do was cross that foot-bridge and go up three floors to see Tiger-eye. The temptation was so strong that she felt as if she was going crazy. Without a second thought Jasper was up on her feet and heading towards her door.

' _She said she's in 804. I'll just head over there and ask her if she'd like to talk. If talking leads to something else that would be great. If not then at least I'll get a chance to spend more time with her…'_

Jasper was so caught up in her thoughts that when she opened her door she nearly ran over the Gem standing just on the other side. She was surprised to see a pair of light brown eyes looking up at her. Once she realized who was standing before her she was thrilled.

"You came back."

"Uh, yeah. Sorry for making you wait. I had to sort out my thoughts about some things."

"No need to apologize, honey. You were only gone a few hours, so the wait wasn't that long."

"We're you heading out somewhere, Jasper?"

"No, no…I was just, uh…Damn it, I might as well be honest. I was coming to see you." Jasper, feeling a bit embarrassed, scratched the back of her head while averting her eyes.

"Oh. Well it's a good thing I saved you the trip, huh?" They pair shared a nervous laugh as Jasper invited Tiger-eye inside.

"I didn't get a chance to give you the full tour before, so this time I want to show you something special."

Jasper led Tiger-eye to the private space she had designed with the two of them in mind. It was a lot different from the rugged stylings of the other rooms. Tiger-eye couldn't help but smile at the cozy environment. They were surrounded by swirls of colors in varying shades of orange, yellow, and even a hint of pink. There were a couple of large, orange and yellow cylindrical stools sitting off to the side. The centerpiece of the whole arrangement was the huge, fluffy peach colored cushion with orange and pink ruffles placed in the middle of the room.

"So, what do you think of all this, honey?"

"I…freakin'….LOVE THIS!" Tiger-eye squealed as she dove face first onto to huge cushion. "Mmmm, this is so comfortable. It's perfect for relaxing." Her face bore a happy grin as she purred like a kitten. Jasper was happy that the blacksmith felt comfortable, even though she didn't have relaxing on her mind at all. As Tiger-eye laid spread out on her belly Jasper crawled on top of her to kiss her cheek. She then brushed the blacksmith's ponytail aside to kiss the nape of her neck and between her shoulder blades. Tiger-eye felt a flutter of excitement as Jasper kissed her way down to her gem in the small of her back. The soldier smiled when she heard that sweet Gem timidly call her name.

"Jasper…"

"Hmm?"

Tiger-eye turned over on her back until she was gazing directly into Jasper's golden eyes.

"After we…do stuff…will I be any different from Andesine in your eyes?"

Jasper was taken aback, and a little troubled by Tiger-eye's question. She stroked the reddish brown Gem's cheek and kissed her softly on the lips.

"Tiger-eye, don't you realize how serious I am about you? The times that we crossed paths were the best moments of my life. During the times we were apart you were always in my thoughts. For a long time I approached you as a friend. At the same time I longed for something deeper. After the Praxiz War I tried to find that something with other Gems, but things always felt off with them. With you it's so very different. I feel so happy just being around you. Now that you're here I can truly express how I feel about you. I want to be more than friends and more than playmates. Above all I want to make you, and no one else, happy. I don't want this to be a one-time fling, or something casual. I want us to be partners."

"Partners? But Jasper, I'm a Tiger-eye. I'm not supposed to have a partner…" Tiger-eye grew quiet as Jasper chuckled and shook her head.

"Honey, a Tiger-eye isn't supposed to work or live anywhere except the Tiger House or with her Master either, yet here you are working as a blacksmith in a military complex. You defy the norm in every conceivable way. That's what I love about you, besides you being beautiful, sweet, and having the cutest laugh in all of existence."

Jasper's tender words had Tiger-eye blushing so hard she was on the verge of tears of joy.

"Wow. Jasper, I think it's so amazing that someone as awesome and gorgeous as you wants to be with me, a skinny bitch with average tits…"

"Whoa, hold on a second! Why are you saying things about yourself that are just not true? Is that how you see yourself?"

"Well…I am pretty plain and bland looking."

"Honey, just stop. You are too beautiful to be bashing yourself like this." Jasper leaned forward to softly kiss Tiger-eye on the ear. "My partner is far above average. Anyone who says otherwise has to deal with me." Tiger-eye could no longer hold in a fit of giggles as Jasper showered her with affection. Her smile was replaced by a serious expression as she once again gazed into those alluring golden eyes.

"Jasper, I…I'm ready."

"Ready for what?"

"You know…ready to _do stuff_ …with you…right now."

"Well. All right then. Let's do it."

"Ok, but I'm not sure of what to do."

"Just follow my lead, honey."

Jasper sat up and exposed her body construct. She quietly waited for the shy Gem laying beneath her to take in the sight before her light brown eyes.

"Holy shit, Jasper. You look so…incredibly hot." She could clearly see why Andesine wanted to put up a fight for the well-built soldier. Jasper's form was a perfect balance of powerful and sensual elements.

"Thank you. Now I want to see you."

"Ok. Hope you won't be disappointed."

Tiger-eye exposed her body construct as well. Jasper thought it was adorable how Tiger-eye had her arms crossed over her chest in an attempt at modesty. She smiled as she gently pulled the shy Gem's arms apart, fully exposing her true beauty. Tiger-eye was slender, but still curvy, especially in the hip area. Although her build was not nearly as massive as Jasper's, she still had muscle tone. Jasper took the time to gaze upon this lovely sight, memorizing every detail down to every cream colored stripe on Tiger-eye's body.

"I knew you weren't average. You're more beautiful than I ever imagined."

Tiger-eye clasped her hands over her face, trying to hide the tears of joy she could no longer hold back. She was so relieved that Jasper was pleased with her appearance. Jasper pulled Tiger-eye's hands from her face to kiss her passionately while sliding her hands down the smaller Gem's supple body. Jasper smiled at every cute sound Tiger-eye would make in response to her touch. The soldier smirked at Tiger-eye's attempts to stifle her soft moans as Jasper kissed her way down the slender Gem's body. Jasper noticed here sweet partner's body had stiffened up, so she massaged her thighs then pulled her legs open.

"Just relax and enjoy yourself, honey."

Tiger-eye looked down at Jasper and nodded shyly just before her lover dipped her head between her slightly trembling legs. Tiger-eye gasped and arched her back as she felt a pleasurable jolt up her spine. She gave up on holding back her moans as she tried to process the incredible sensations she was experiencing. She gripped the cushion in her hands as she tried to verbalize her pleasure, but nothing but nonsense spilled out of her mouth. She had never been touched like this before and definitely didn't want Jasper to stop. Jasper switched her stance propping Tiger-eye's legs up on her shoulders, delving even deeper into her sweet loveliness.

The soldier's smile broadened when she heard her lover cry out her name. She had waited centuries to hear Tiger-eye say her name like that. It made her feel happier than when Tiger-eye sang so long ago at the Tiger House. Once Jasper felt Tiger-eye's body stiffen, then relax she loosened her grip on her love's thighs to slowly lower her down on the cushion. Jasper sat up to gaze down at her beautiful partner. Her light brown eyes had a glassy appearance and were half closed. Her body appeared totally relaxed as Tiger-eye looked up at her with a slightly sloppy grin. She looked as if she was totally drunk on passion, which Jasper found incredibly sexy. Jasper smirked as she stretched out next to Tiger-eye. She gently pulled her partner close, and Tiger-eye immediately snuggled up against Jasper's ample bosom.

"So, did you enjoy yourself, honey?"

"Mmm hmm."

"You know this won't be the last time we... _do stuff."_

"Yeah…but can we call it something else?"

"Like what?"

"How about…make love?" Jasper considered her suggestion as she kissed her lover's forehead.

"Sounds good to me, honey. But there's something I want to ask you."

"What is it?"

"Will you promise to not run off ever again?" Tiger-eye smiled as she snuggled even closer.

"I promise…partner." She then playfully pushed Jasper onto her back then straddled her. "Now it's my turn to make _you_ scream _my_ name."

Hearing that, Jasper knew it was going to be a long night...and she didn't mind one bit.

Next chapter: Go for It


	11. Chapter 11: Go for It

**AN: Hello, dear readers! Sorry for the long delay. We have a new HR manager at my job and she's got my schedule all janked! Anyway, I posted a poll on my profile if you want to participate. It will affect how this story will proceed so choose wisely! Love all of you awesome readers!**

 **To the guest reviewer who offered to totally be my Jasper, don't worry about the height issue! Don't let that stop you! If you are still interested in the cosplay, PM me and we can go from there.**

Chapter 11: Go for It

After a quite enjoyable evening together, Jasper and Tiger-eye relaxed in a Gem equivalent of an ofuro made from a crystalline substance and filled to the brim with steamy water. Jasper couldn't take her eyes or hands off of her lovely partner. In her eyes every part of her partner was perfectly pleasing. However, there was one thing about Tiger-eye that Jasper was curious about.

"Honey, what's this mark right here?" Jasper inquired as she rested her large hand on her partner's right breast which had a dark, cross shaped mark. Tiger-eye laid her hand on top of Jasper's as she contemplated a response, while also wondering why Jasper hadn't mentioned it until now.

"Jasper, can I trust you to keep a secret?"

"Most definitely."

A now somber Tiger-eye straddled Jasper's lap and looked her partner directly in the eyes.

"This mark on my chest is on every member of the guild I belong to."

"A blacksmith's guild?"

"No. That's just my cover. I'm a member of the Dark Cross Guild." Jasper's eyes grew wide at that revelation.

"Dark Cross? They're real? I always thought they were just a myth made up to scare Gemlings to keep them in line."

"Oh, we're very real, and very covert. That's why you can't tell anybody about this, ok?"

"Don't worry, honey. You're secret's safe with me. I wouldn't dare do anything to jeopardize the Gem I love."

Tiger-eye paused, wondering if she had heard what Jasper said correctly as her partner peppered her chest with feather-light kisses.

"Jasper, did you say you love me?" The soldier paused in her affection to give her partner her full attention.

"Yes. Is that a problem?"

"No! It made me very happy to hear you say that. But I kind of have a stupid question."

"Your questions aren't stupid, honey. But what do you want to know?"

"How do you know that you love me?" Jasper's face bore a shocked expression before she burst into laughter.

"Ty, you are full of surprises! I never guessed you would ask me something like this." Jasper caressed her pretty partner's waist and thighs as she kissed her full on the lips. When she finally parted her lips from there she took a moment to study the uncertainty in her lover's eyes. "Listen, honey, I meant what I said. I do love you. I'm one hundred percent sure of that because I don't want anyone else for a partner."

Tiger-eye was deeply touched by Jasper's sweet words. She smiled and gently kissed Jasper's gem. This was the first time Tiger-eye had initiated a kiss, causing the love struck soldier to feel overjoyed.

"Jasper, do you remember the moment you realized how you felt about me?"

"Oh, yes, I remember it clearly. It was when I fought that horrible bitch that was beating on you."

"You…fought Master Jet?" Tiger-eye had assumed that Jasper had been the intruder in the Cloisters, but until now she hadn't been one hundred percent sure.

"Oh yes. There was no way I was going to let her hurt you anymore. I would have beaten her…if she hadn't cheated," Jasper grumbled with an angry scowl.

"That's no surprise. Dark Cross assassins are expected to use underhanded techniques in battle. What did she do?"

"She fused with a Black Pearl. I guess I was just too strong for that weak, cowardly bitch."

Tiger-eye stared at her partner in awe.

"You fought Onyx…and survived the encounter? Jasper…you're even more awesome that I thought!" The blacksmith hugged her lover tightly as her respect for Jasper went through the roof. "Thank you for what you did. If you hadn't done that I might have been shattered, all because Master Jet wanted to make an example of me for something so petty."

"You don't have to thank me, honey. I did it out of love. I don't want anyone or anything hurting you." Jasper hugged her partner even closer as Tiger-eye buried her face in the soldier's wild mane.

"Jasper, I…I…" Tiger-eye wanted to reciprocate Jasper's words of affection, but she honestly wasn't sure how she felt. Emotions could be very confusing for her. Before she could finish her thought they both heard a muffled noise coming from outside. It was a rhythmic, dull thudding. "I think someone's at your door, Jaspy."

Jasper gave her love a quick kiss before climbing out of the tub. She made herself decent before opening the door to reveal a familiar, and for the time being, not so friendly face.

"It's about time you answered the damn door!"

"Good morning to you, too, Andie. What are you doing here?"

"What do you mean? The lieutenant called us down to the courtyard to fall in. We're supposed to be assigned our posts today."

"Oh, shit, you're right!"

"Exactly, so let's go. It's not like you to be late. On top of that you forgot to stop by my place last night. What's going on with you?"

"I never said I would stop by. Anyway, I had to take care of something important."

"I…I thought I was important to you, Jas…" Jasper was a bit taken aback by Andesine's hurt tone.

"Look, Andie, there's something I need to tell you."

Before Jasper could continue her discussion with her friend, a now fully clothed Tiger-eye came up behind her partner and into Andesine's line of sight.

"What the hell is that skinny bitch still doing here? You actually let her spend the night?"

"Don't disrespect my partner, Andie."

"Your what?" Jasper ignored Andesine's outburst and turned to Tiger-eye. "You want to stay here and wait for me until I get back, honey?"

"I would, but I can't. I start at the weapons plant today."

"All right. We can meet up later on today if you want." Tiger-eye smiled brightly and nodded in agreement as Jasper secured her quarters. Andesine glared at the couple as they kissed each other goodbye and Jasper whispered something to Tiger-eye which made the blacksmith smile before she headed to the footbridge. Jasper brushed past an obviously upset Andesine and headed down to the courtyard.

"So, Jas, how long is this one gonna last? A few months? A year tops?" Jasper ignored Andesine's questions as they both stepped onto the tower elevator. "So you're just gonna ignore me? You're not going to answer my questions?"

Jasper leaned against the elevator wall, crossed her arms, and quietly can calmly made a statement.

"I don't have to answer any of your questions, Andie. It's none of your business what goes on between me and my partner."

"See that's what I don't get. I was under the impression that you and I were together, Jas."

"Obviously you got the wrong impression," Jasper coolly replied as the elevator doors opened and the pair stepped out of the elevator. "Listen, Andie, we've been friends for a while, and you knew what was going on with us from the start and that it could end at any time. I don't want to or even need to do the friends with benefits thing anymore. The truth is…I love Tiger-eye."

"What? How can you say you love that dumpy bitch?" Jasper grabbed Andesine by the collar, pulling her close as her temper flared.

"I'm only gonna say this once. If you call my partner out of her name again I'm going to make sure you regret it." She set Andesine back down and went to fall in before Lieutenant Spinel. The other soldier, who was obviously upset as well, followed suit. Once the pair lined up with the other soldiers, Andesine mouthed the words, "This isn't over," to Jasper, to which the taller Gem responded with a roll of the eyes. Jasper ignored her pissed off friend and looked for Carnelian. She spotted her afar off walking next to Tiger-eye out of the residential area and towards the weapons plant.

'Hold on. What's Carnelian doing with my Ty? Shouldn't she be with…? Oh no. That sneaky bitch actually pulled it off!'

Jasper watched the retreating pair like a hawk as the lieutenant assign each of the soldiers to their posts. In the meantime, Tiger-eye put a little distance between her and Carnelian as they headed to the weapons plant. Carnelian didn't allow Tiger-eye's stand-offish attitude deter her from striking up a conversation.

"So, Tiger-eye my dear, are you excited about getting the plant up and running?"

"Yup! I can't wait to get the fires burnin' and work some hot metal into the best swords, axes, and armor you ever did see!"

"Well, you are one of the best blacksmiths on Homeworld so that won't be a surprise."

"Daw…thanks for the compliment."

"You're also one of the most beautiful blacksmiths on Homeworld," Carnelian added as she draped a muscular arm over Tiger-eye's shoulder.

"All right, that's enough of that," the pretty Gem responded as she shrugged off Carnelian's advances. "What are you doing over here anyway? Shouldn't you be with the other soldiers?" Tiger-eye inquired as they met up with the ten other blacksmiths.

"Why would I be? I'm a blacksmith and metallurgist like you. I belong here."

"Huh? When did that happen?"

"Not long after we last saw each other at the weapons depot back West. Seeing you inspired me to study metallurgy and develop all kinds of practical weapons. The cadets coming up under me used them to practice until they learned how to summon their own unique weapon."

"Oh. Well, that's…great, Carnelian. Glad I could be an inspiration to you." Tiger-eye was quite skeptical about Carnelian's true motivation for becoming a blacksmith, but she didn't bother telling the flirtatious Gem. She just made sure to keep distance between them when possible.

The twelve blacksmiths spent to rest of the day being trained by the head foreperson. She showed them how to man the furnace, work the bellows, choose and change out the molds, and call for the gofers to swift hot metal to their workstations. There were twelve work stations set throughout the plant on a circular pattern. The tracks for the hot metal containers radiated out from the center where the huge furnace was located. The furnace and tracks were built directly into an enormous rotating platform to allow the swifting of hot materials from 360 degrees. It was a pretty sweet setup so Tiger-eye knew she was going to enjoy working there.

After several days of training all of the blacksmiths had gotten the hang of things. Now the time had come to introduce the new additions to Military Complex Section R-6. A batch of Gem-lings had emerged a few centuries prior in a Kindergarten on the surface. Now that the Dirty East had been established the young Gems could now move into the underground complex permanently.

Several of Commander Bloodstone's lieutenants escorted the youngsters to their new residency and help them find their place in the community. Eighteen of them were sent to be gofers in the weapons plant. Tiger-eye had the pleasure of training some of the feisty little bunch of red, yellow, and brown Gems. The friendly blacksmith greeted the young gofers while Carnelian trained the rest.

"Oh my goodness, this has to be the cutest bunch of gofers I ever did see!"

There was mostly a positive response from the group of trainees, except for one little red Gem whose expression defied the jovial mood.

"Hey, you there in the middle. What the hell is wrong with your face?" The eight other gofers turned towards the scowling Gem out of curiosity. The crimson little one didn't look too pleased that their focus was now on her. "What's your name, cutie?"

"It's Ruby. Stop calling me cute. I'm here to fuckin' work, not socialize," the diminutive Gem grumbled.

"You know what? I like your attitude, Ruby. You don't mess around. Because of that, you're going to be the leader of this group of gofers. Before the day is done this is gonna be the best group of gofers in the Dirty East. So, Team Ruby, make sure you pay close attention to your training so you can be a million times better than that bunch of losers over there." Tiger-eye nodded towards Carnelian and her group. Ruby smiled a little at her trainer's proposition. It had triggered the lively red one's competitive spirit.

"Team Ruby. I like the sound of that. Where do I start?"

"All right now! I like your attitude, Ruby! Now follow me and I'll show you how it's done right!"

As Carnelian took the serious, by-the-book approach to training the gofers, Tiger-eye made it seem like all fun and games. It wasn't long before Team Ruby was riding up and down the tracks on the rotating platform like they were in a go-cart race, giving each other high fives as they rolled past each other. Tiger-eye's unorthodox training style had her group of gofers getting the job done and having a blast doing it. Unfortunately the head foreperson wasn't too thrilled with Tiger-eye's technique and demanded that Team Ruby pipe down. However, the spirited bunch stood up for their trainer, pointing out that the other blacksmiths appreciated her methods and were producing more output than the others using Carnelian's gofers. After seeing that Team Ruby's observations were correct, the head foreperson conceded to a point.

"All right, I see your point. But cool it with the high fives. I don't want you getting distracted. Stick with something safer, like a thumbs-up." There was some rolling of the eye and groans all around, but the gofers agreed to follow the command. Tiger-eye was cool with it as well. It wasn't long before Tiger-eye was loving her life in the Dirty East. She was making friends, enjoying her freedom, and had found love. She was so happy about the latter that she wanted one friend in particular to partake in it as well. After her shift was complete she knocked on her neighbor's door three doors down, hoping she was at home. Tiger-eye was all smiles when Spinel opened her door.

"Hey, Tiger! It's good to see you. You're looking quite pleased with yourself. What's up?"

"Good to see you too, Spinel. You got time to talk?"

"Sure! Come on in."

Once the lieutenant invited the blacksmith inside Tiger-eye took a quick look around. Spinel's quarters were far from bare. It looked rather comfy with lots of fluffy cushions and soft, pink lighting. The scent of cigarette smoke was in the air, but it wasn't overpowering. There were also a few interesting sculptures up against the walls. Tiger-eye had heard rumors of Spinel's artistic talent from Ametrine, and her current observations confirmed it. Spinel offered the tall Gem a seat on a rather large, velvety cushion as she herself settled on an extra fluffy one with arm rests.

"So, Tiger, what brings such a lovely Gem to my humble abode?" Spinel inquired with a teasing tone.

"You so crazy. Hee hee! But seriously, I wanted to ask you something. Do you live here alone?"

"Well, yeah. That's pretty obvious. Why do you ask? You want to move in?"

"There you go talkin' that shit again," Tiger-eye chuckled. "I doubt Jasper would approve."

"Oh, I know she would raise some hell and try to kill my ass. I'm just teasin' ya. So what's on your mind?"

"I've been training some gofers at the plant and there's one that is the cutest little thing you ever could see! She's all fired up and a lot of fun, so I was thinking maybe you'd like to meet her and get to know her."

"Tiger, are you trying to hook me up with another Gem?"

"Well, yeah. It's only fair since you helped me get together with Jasper."

"Aww…you are just too sweet! I appreciate the offer, but I'm going to pass."

"Huh? Why?"

"Because, I'm not looking for a partner. I've been through that before, and for now I'm just content with playing with a friend every now and then."

"But…don't you ever get lonely?"

"Nah. I'm good. If I get the urge to mess around I have a couple reliable friends I can count on. Besides, I'm not into short Gems. My previous partner was a lot taller than me, and all my play friends are taller than me. Thanks for looking out though."

"Oh…ok. I guess it's pointless to continue this conversation," Tiger-eye giggled. "It's too bad. I think you two would have been cute together. Anyway, I better go. Jaspy's supposed to be stopping by."

"All righty then. You better get goin'. Don't let me stop you from getting' smashed."

Tiger-eye bid her friend farewell while blushing at Spinel's bluntness. As she headed to her own quarters she saw her partner waiting outside of her door. Tiger-eye was a bit wary of Jasper's serious expression.

"Hi, Jasper."

"Hey. What were you doing at Spinel's?"

"Oh, we were just talking."

"About what?"

"I was telling Spinel about a cute Gem I think she should meet, but she said she's not looking for anything serious right now. She's playing the field…kind of like you were back West."

"I wasn't… Never mind. Let's just go inside."

Once the couple had their privacy Jasper didn't waste any time pulling her partner into her arms for a long awaited kiss.

"I missed you, honey."

"I missed you, too, Jaspy."

Tiger-eye squealed as Jasper scooped her up and carried her bridal style further into the blacksmith's quarters. The soldier gently laid her lover down on one of her cream colored cushions then settled on top of her. Tiger-eye smiled at the feeling of Jasper's mass pushing her down into the warm fluffiness.

"I've been thinking about you all day. Because of that I'm a bit upset with you."

"Why?"

"It's hard for me to concentrate while I'm on my post…and it's your fault. If you weren't so beautiful, sweet, and sexy I wouldn't have that problem." Jasper's serious expression had now morphed into a smile, letting Tiger-eye realize her partner was teasing her. The soldier's passionate kisses cleared things up even more. She had waited all day to ravish her lover and she wasn't holding back. Tiger-eye shuddered with desire as Jasper sucked and nibbled on her earlobe. "Ty…I love you." Tiger-eye's response was to turn her head to lightly kiss her partner on the lips. In spite of the affectionate gesture, Jasper looked a bit disappointed. "Why don't you ever say you love me?"

The blacksmith's eyes grew wide with surprise at her lover's question. As she pondered on an appropriate answer, Jasper rolled over on her side and gazed at her seemingly confused partner.

"Jasper, I…I'm not used to thinking about my feelings and what they mean. When I was at the Cloisters all day and every day it was driven into me to suppress my emotions. I'm still trying hard to figure out what's going on inside of me."

"I see. Could you at least try to tell me how you feel about me? Maybe I could help you figure things out."

"Ummm…ok. I'll try my best." Tiger-eye rolled onto her side to face Jasper. As she looked into those golden eyes she had difficulty gathering her thoughts. In her mind flashed memories of moments in the past when she felt a connection with Jasper and the brief yet tender moments they shared that always lingered with her. As Tiger-eye reminisced over those moments and the gaps of time in between, she surprised herself and her partner as she expressed those memories with a song.

 _If I could pick a single moment_

 _To tell you how I fell right into the blue_

 _I would tell the time my heart felt_

 _And I would probably say that it was a quarter to two_

 _The time was nice, but it was far spent_

 _You sent me flying, now we both agree_

 _That time became the enemy of moments_

 _I'm holding on to the next one_

 _And if the suns should go away from here_

 _It don't matter, cause with you I shine_

 _And if the clouds keep you from coming near_

 _It don't matter, you're already mine_

 _And that's all that matters, that matters, that matters_

 _It wouldn't matter, cause baby you're mine_

 _And that's all that matters, that matters, that matters_

 _No one can take away what's yours and mine_

 _If there's a name for our type of story_

 _I call it the days of our lives, the age of a Gem and her guide_

 _So built to last beyond glamour and glory_

 _So easy to do, so easy to be connected inside_

 _I get to put your name upon my heart_

 _It's kind of cool to give your all or nothing to_

 _Someone who make you love in these moments_

 _Keep rolling on to the next one_

 _And if the suns should go away from here_

 _It don't matter, cause with you I shine_

 _And if the clouds keep you from coming near_

 _It don't matter, you're already mine_

 _And that's all that matters, that matters, that matters_

 _It wouldn't matter, cause baby you're mine_

 _And that's all that matters, that matters, that matters_

 _No one can take away what's yours and mine_

 _Who makes love like this anymore_

 _Instant, enduring, your eyes so alluring, my love_

 _Won't let you go_

 _Holds us together through stormier weather_

 _It's gold, and so_

 _If the suns should go away from here_

 _It don't matter, cause with you I shine_

 _And if the clouds keep you from coming near_

 _It don't matter, you're already mine_

 _And that's all that matters, that matters, that matters_

 _It wouldn't matter, cause baby you're mine_

 _And that's all that matters, that matters, that matters_

 _No one can take away what's yours and mine_

 _And now we sit and wonder where life went_

 _From all the moments I missed, I'm glad that I didn't miss you_

By the time Tiger-eye had finished singing the partners were embracing each other as they both quietly contemplated the meaning of the song that poured from the normally shy Gem's core.

"Jasper…I wasn't expecting that to come out of me, but I think I know what it means."

"What's that, honey?"

"I love you. I'm just sorry that it took me so long to figure it out."

"It's ok, Ty. I'm just happy to finally hear you say it…and mean it. And getting another chance to hear you sing is a bonus."

The happy pair of partners spent the rest of the day making even more happy, loving memories to add to their list of shared moments.

Next Chapter: Scoop

 **AN: To listen to "All That Matters" by Estelle with the original lyrics go to this link.** **watch?v=S90hiLhMBrA** **"All That Matters" is the property of Estelle Swaray (aka Garnet). I altered some of the lyrics to fit the story of course. On to the next chapter, dear readers!**


	12. Chapter 12: Scoop

Chapter 12: Scoop

Years had gone by since the Eastern Military Complex R-6, also known as the Dirty East, had been established. Over time the underground community had gained a reputation outside of the complex. It was a common opinion that Gems from the Dirty East tended to be quite violent, impulsive, and freakishly strong. There were also rumors going around about Commander Bloodstone's laid back method of dealing with the locals. The word was that soldiers and civilians alike down there were allowed more than an average amount of free time to explore personal interests and pursuits. Creative and artistic Gems living on the surface often longed to venture where there was more freedom of expression, but at the same time stories of violence often directed towards smaller, weaker Gems was an understandable deterrent for most. Gems usually had an easier time getting chosen to fill a slot if they knew a Gem that was already living there. Having those kinds of connections helped, but a Gem had to make sure they already had strong alliances formed or they were in for a world of hurt trying to make it in the Dirty East.

There was almost always some major project going on down there as well. Bloodstone was currently in the planning stages of building a transport system to bring Gems from the surface underground and vice versa in a fast and efficient way. The elevator system was slow and clunky, and once Gems made it underground they still had a long walk to the residential area. Commander Bloodstone gathered as many skilled laborers and artisans as possible in her headquarters to complete the plans for the transport and get the project moving forward as soon as possible.

One of those skilled laborers happened to be one of Bloodstone's favorite lieutenants. Spinel was one of the faithful few working closely with architect and engineer Gems that had come from the Central Research Hub. Using her sculpting and spatial skills she built a small, detailed three dimensional scale model of the transport station and the transport itself. The Engineers then worked together to temporarily convert the weapons plant into a factory to produce the components for the transport system. Once the plans for the transport system were finalized a large number of the residents of the Dirty East, soldiers and civilians included, were split up into teams such as the Excavation Team, the Builders, and the Railway Workers.

Now the residents of the Dirty East may have been known to be harsh, brutal to outsiders, and sometimes outright violent, but there was one thing they definitely were not known for, which was laziness. The Gems in the Eastern Military Complex were some of the hardest working Gems on Homeworld. Even their beloved Commander got her hands dirty working to build the transport. After working non-stop for three days straight, Commander Bloodstone gave all workers involved a break. Although Gem's don't get tired, sometimes they did need a mental break. Bloodstone was not a harsh task master, like some other commanders. She believed hard work needed to be balanced out with play.

One day Spinel left the job site and headed to the lava pits. She had made plans to meet up with some friends and hang out in one of the lava pools. As she made her way to the meeting place she could hear what sounded like a fight nearby. When she rounded the corner she spotted two large Gems antagonizing a much smaller one. The short, crimson colored Gem was doing her best to defend herself from the other two.

"Leave me the hell alone!" she screeched as she wildly swung her gauntleted arm. One of the larger ones caught her arm and slammed the small one into the ground.

"Aww, the little nugget wants us to leave her alone. How cute. Sorry, but I'm having too much fun beating your mouthy, disrespectful ass!"

The battered Gem tried to make her escape, but the pair of bullies managed to herd her into a corner. The little crimson Gem attempted to stand her ground, but her injured leg wouldn't allow it. She collapsed to the floor still holding up her weapon, and preparing for another assault, when she heard a voice call out from nearby.

"Now this is a damn shame. Two big ass Gems pickin' on a smaller one like you're a couple of badass bitches." The two bullies turned towards the voice to see a short, red-violet Gem with a mowhawk and a feisty attitude.

"Who're you callin' a bitch, shorty?"

"You, ya dumbass cowards. If you want to fight somebody then come at me. You both look like you could use a nice beat down!"

The lieutenant's insults managed to get the burly pair all riled up. That may have fueled their anger, but their fury was no match for Spinel's fighting prowess. Spinel was smaller than her opponents but she used her speed, agility, and surprising strength to overpower them. She whittled them down with blows to their knees. While one recovered, Spinel ran up a nearby wall and launched herself directly into the other bully's face. That caused the tall Gem to topple right on top of her buddy. All the while the little red Gem watched in awe as Spinel pummeled her harassers. Soon her mowhawk wearing savior had the burly Gems begging for mercy. Spinel allowed them the privilege of crawling away in defeat. The lieutenant made her way over to the little Gem, who was sitting awkwardly in a corner. Spinel knelt down to check the smaller Gem for injuries.

"Hey, you ok?"

"I'm all right." The little crimson colored Gem tried to prove it by standing, but failed to do so as she crumble back to the floor in pain.

"Those bitches hurt your leg, huh? I should have stomped them into dust. Anyway, my name's Spinel," the semi-retired soldier greeted politely as she looked over the little one's injured leg.

"I'm Ruby."

"It's nice to meet you, Ruby. Hmmm…I don't think you'll be standing on that leg for a while…unless you retreat into your Gem. You'll heal a lot faster that way."

Ruby shook her head at that idea. She didn't feel safe enough to retreat just yet.

"Oh, I'm not saying do it now. You can wait till you get home. Now tell me where you live."

Ruby hesitated before giving Spinel her response to her generous offer of assistance.

"I…I don't live anywhere, really."

"What you mean? Everyone down here was assigned living quarters."

"I know, but those two wrecked my place. And every time I tried to go back to fix it and make it livable they would stop me from getting in and chase me off."

"I don't get it. Why are they treating like that?"

"They kept saying that I disrespected them, but I don't know what the fuck they're talking about."

"Don't worry, Ruby. I'll look into it and get things straightened out. Until then you can stay at my place."

"Really?"

"Sure. It's not a problem. Besides, it'll only be temporary." Spinel then turned her back towards Ruby and knelt down before her. "Climb on."

"Huh?"

"Just climb on my back! Can't have you trying to walk with a hurt leg." For a moment the little Gem hesitated before climbing on Spinel's back, locking her arms around the lieutenant's neck. As the lieutenant carried Ruby to the residential area Ruby got a good look at her face. The gofer could see that Spinel was very pretty, but from her attitude she could tell she was far from vain. As she laid her head on Spinel's shoulder Ruby wondered if she could trust the lieutenant. Ever since Ruby moved to the Dirty East she had trust issues. However, Spinel did just save her life and was looking out for her well-being, so perhaps she could be trusted.

It wasn't long before the pair arrived at Spinel's door. That's when the two Gems heard a squeal of delight coming from further down the hall.

"Aww, Spinel! What have you been up to? This is the first time I've seen you bring a cutie home with you!" Tiger-eye stopped in her tracks once she got close enough to see the little Gem's face. "Ruby? What happened to you?"

"Tiger, we don't have time for a chat. I gotta take care of Ruby's injuries." Spinel interrupted. "Could you do me a favor though?"

"What's that, Big Sexy?"

"Could you lift my eyepatch for me so I can open the door?" Tiger-eye lifted her friend's eyepatch since Spinel's hands were occupied with holding Ruby. The red-violet one's gem glowed and opened up a portal. "Thanks, Tiger."

"No prob, Spinel. Tell me how it goes!"

"I don't know what it is I need to tell cuz there ain't nothing going on worth tellin'…" Spinel grumbled as she carried the injured Ruby inside. As Ruby continued to cling to Spinel's back she got a good look around the lieutenant's quarters. It appeared to be a very comfortable environment. Ruby smiled when she saw the various sculptures around. She was a creative type herself so she could already see that she and Spinel had something in common.

"Did you make all these yourself?"

"You mean the sculptures, right?"

"Uh huh."

"Yup. I made every one of them with my own hands."

"They look really good."

"Why thank you! I enjoy it very much. I find it relaxing, almost like meditation."

Spinel gently set Ruby down on a huge cushion in a nearby corner, then looked over Ruby's injured leg. She made note of Ruby's slight wince of pain.

"It doesn't look too bad, but if you choose to retreat into your gem you'll be good as new in a couple hours. Don't worry. I'll make sure nothing happens to you while you regenerate."

Ruby gave Spinel's offer some thought. She wondered if she could trust this Gem or not. When she looked at her face and listened to her voice, Ruby detected no malice or negative intent. In fact, Spinel's face was one of the kindest ones she had encountered down there.

"Listen, I understand if you don't trust me yet. Even if you decide not to regenerate, I'll still be here to help you any way I can, ok?"

"O-ok…thanks."

After a while Ruby decided to go ahead and retreat into her Gem. Her injured leg had her feeling quite uncomfortable so she wanted to mend much faster. Several hours later Ruby regenerated good as new with an updated form. She was greeted by a smiling Spinel who was lounging next to the big cushion having a smoke.

"Welcome back! How do you feel?"

"I feel great! Thanks for looking out for me."

"Oh, it's no problem, Ruby. I was just helping out a fellow Gem in need."

Ruby was very grateful to the little lieutenant, and wracked her brain for a way to show her gratitude. Spinel did all she could to fix Ruby's living situation. In the meantime Spinel also took the time to train Ruby to improve her fighting techniques when neither one of them was working on building the transport station.

"Ok, Ruby, listen up. When you're fighting a Gem that's taller than you, you need to keep certain things in mind. You've got to get them off balance as quickly as possible then get them off their feet. Once they're laid out, that levels the playing field. While they're on the ground you can stomp on them, kick them, strike 'em with your weapon, or all of the above. You got it?"

"Yeah, I hear ya, Spinel."

"Let me show you what I'm talkin' about." Andesine just happened to be walking by the training grounds at that very moment. Spinel called her over.

"What do you want with me, lieutenant?" Andesine asked with a flip of her luxurious locks.

"I need your help with a demonstration."

"What kind of demonstration?"

To answer the soldier's question Spinel knocked her off of her feet with a sweeping kick to her ankles. Before the taller Gem could recover, Spinel slammed her elbow into Andesine's stomach. Andesine barely had time to grunt a few curses before Spinel slammed her head against the ground, knocking her unconscious.

"I know I was moving kind of fast, but I could tell you were paying close attention. You got any questions, Ruby?"

"Yeah. Could you do that again? That was a lot of fun to watch!" Spinel doubled over with laughter as she laid a hand on top of her trainee's head.

"Let's call it a day. Next time I'll let you get a few blows in so you can get some practice."

Ruby happily agreed, but before they left the training grounds she gave the still prone Andesine a hard kick in the side. As time passed the red roommates' friendship became close. While they worked hard to help complete the transport, Spinel and Ruby always found a way to work closely together. Of course, the little red pair's neighbor from three doors down took notice of this…and teased them mercilessly about it.

"Awww! The two of you look so cute working together side by side!"

"Everybody's got a right to an opinion, Tiger. And my opinion is that you should get back to your work and leave us to ours. Ruby, could you pass me the welding tool, please?"

"Oooh! 'Leave US to OURS', huh? Well aren't you two getting along."

"Tiger-eye, don't you have some metal railing to make at the plant?"

"Yeah, but I was taking a short break."

"Well, why don't you wrap up your break somewhere else before I break your face?"

"Damn! Why you actin' so bitchy today?"

"Go about your business, Tiger…"

"Oh, all right! I know you two lovers need your privacy so I'll leave you alone. Later, cuties!"

Spinel glared after Tiger-eye until she was out of her line of sight. She noticed Ruby sitting off to the side looking like she needed something to do.

"Hey, Ruby, you want to try your hand at welding?"

"Sure!"

Spinel directed Ruby to sit between her legs then showed her how to hold the welding tool properly. As the pair sat cheek to cheek Spinel explained her welding technique while guiding Ruby's hand. Ruby was having a little trouble concentrating on Spinel's instructions. Between Spinel's soft cheek pressed against hers, her gentle tone, and her curvy body pressed against her back, Ruby couldn't decide which was the most distracting. At one point Ruby adjusted her position in Spinel's lap, causing their lips to briefly touch. The sudden intimate contact sent a jolt through both Gems, causing them both to drop the welding tool. The result was an off-center seam on the beam.

"Oh, shit! Well, at least this in a corner where no one else will see, right Ruby?"

"Uh, yeah." The blushing roommates stood there awkwardly for a few seconds while avoiding eye contact. The pair of friends decided to call it a day, so Spinel gathered up her tools. As they headed home to Spinel's quarters, the unusually quiet lieutenant lit up a cigarette using her eye laser. She snapped her eye-patch back in place and took a few puffs before turning to her companion.

"You wanna have a smoke?" Ruby eyed the cigarette in Spinel's hand, then glanced at the pretty and kissable looking lips where the cigarette had rested just moments before.

"Uh, sure Spinel, I'm down." Spinel handed Ruby the cigarette, noting the slight nervous quiver in her friend's voice.

"You all right, Ruby?"

"I'm fine!" Ruby replied, a little louder than she intended as she blew a few smoke rings. As the pair walked back to the residential area Spinel engaged in conversation with several Gems passing by. More accurately, she engaged in some cursing and hurling of playful insults for the hell of it. That had become a common way to greet one another in the Dirty East. While Spinel was distracted by the banter, Ruby glanced at her friend's hand and worked up the courage to hold it. She could only work up just enough nerve to reach over and interlock their pinkies. Ruby watched Spinel carefully for her reaction. She didn't turn from the Gem she was joking around with, nor did she pull from Ruby's light grip. A hint of a blush was on Ruby's face as she slipped the rest of her hand into Spinel's. When they arrived in the courtyard between Towers 7 and 8, they crossed paths with a couple familiar Gems. At the sight of Spinel, Andesine grabbed onto one of Jasper's arms and pointed an accusing finger at the tiny lieutenant.

"There's the crazy bitch, Jas! She jumped me for no reason and with no warning the other day!"

"First of all, I did give you warning and a reason," Spinel retorted. "I told you I needed your help for a demonstration."

"You didn't say what the demonstration would be!"

"We were at one of the training grounds! What did you think I was gonna demonstrate? A flower arrangement?"

That's when Jasper had an outburst of laughter, which startled then angered Andesine.

"Jas, you're supposed to be on my side!"

"I don't know where you got that idea. Besides, you're supposed to be aware of your surroundings and ready to fight at all times, soldier! Now get your hands off of me, you pathetic example of a warrior!"

Andesine looked highly offended by Jasper's verbal smack down.

"You know, Jas, if we weren't friends I would smack the shit outta you right now," Andesine growled.

"I suggest you use the term 'friends' loosely because you're getting on my fuckin' nerves, Andie."

"Damn, the sexual tension here is about to bust this cavern wide open! You two either need to make out or duke it out! Just don't forget to hit me up so I can watch."

Spinel's off the wall comment was enough to fizzle the wrath of the two soldiers for the time being.

"You disgust me," Andesine grumbled before heading to her quarters. Jasper headed in the opposite direction to meet up with her partner, who was just getting back from her shift at the plant. Spinel stretched her back then lit up another cigarette.

"Well, that's enough entertainment for today. Let's go home, Ruby."

"You got it, Spinel!" Ruby responded with a broad smile. She never admitted it out loud, but she enjoyed spending time with her roommate. She could always count on Spinel to say something funny, off the wall, or even thought-provoking. Before heading to the tower elevator Spinel held out her right hand towards Ruby. Ruby stared at Spinel's hand with a confused expression as the red-violet Gem wiggled her fingers a bit. Ruby finally took the hint and clasped Spinel's hand. As they walked hand in hand Ruby's mind was reeling, trying to figure out the implications of the gesture. Once the pair got settled in, Ruby put out her cigarette and disposed of the butt in a unique ash tray made by Spinel. It sat atop a pedestal shaped like a double helix and was equipped with its own little pocket dimension in the center of the tray. Spinel wasn't a fan of cleaning up ashes in her home. The pair of friends settled on the largest cushion in the room then on the count of three, fell backwards into the fluffiness.

"Ahh…it feels nice to relax now and then, right Ruby?"

"Heh, yeah," the gofer snickered with a smile. Spinel rolled onto her side, resting her chin on her hand and looking Ruby directly in the eye.

"So, Ruby, you like working with me?"

"Like it? I _love_ it! I've learned a lot from you and you've helped in so many ways."

"So it's safe to say you want to keep working with me."

"You're damn right. I think we make a great team."

"Well that's good to hear! The reason I bring it up is because I've been talking to Commander Bloodstone about your situation and she came up with an idea. After we finish our work on the transport system you could join the rank and file and work as a security escort full time. There would be no limit to where you could go. I'll be your trainer of course. So what do you think?"

"Does that mean I could travel with you off-world?"

"Absolutely."

"Holy shit! That's awesome! I'm totally down with that!"

Spinel couldn't help but grin at Ruby's enthusiastic response. Deep down she was thrilled to continue working closely with the energetic Ruby. She genuinely cared about her friend's well-being and enjoyed watching her grow and find her place in Homeworld. Outside of the Dirty East that kind of freedom for self-discovery was pretty much non-existent.

"By the way, I've got more good news, Ruby. Those two bitches that broke into your place and trashed it have been sent packing. The lieutenant for Tower 10 helped me figure out who they were and Commander Bloodstone decided there was no place for their bullshit down here. Challenging another Gem in the arena, training grounds, or even on the street is ok, but that breaking and entering shit and ganging up on somebody for no reason in not ok. Anyway, now that that's taken care of you can move into your quarters."

Ruby's smile suddenly melted away at hearing that.

"Actually, Spinel, I wanted to talk to you about that."

"Sure. What's on your mind?"

"I've been thinking about moving in with another Gem, but I'm not sure how to go about asking her if it's ok."

Spinel shifted her body as disappointment momentarily flashed across her face.

"I suppose you want me to give you some advice." Ruby nodded, confirming her assumption. "Ok, well how close are you and that Gem?"

"Very close. In fact I'd say she's my best friend!"

Hearing Ruby say that about another Gem made Spinel even more uncomfortable, but she braved her welling emotions to continue.

"Your best friend, huh? She must treat you very well."

"Yeah. She's awesome. I like her a lot. She's smart, strong, thoughtful, and really, really pretty."

"Damn, Ruby! The way you're talking her up is making me feel kinda…jealous." Spinel frowned a bit when Ruby started laughing. "What are you laughing at?"

"I just think it's funny that you got jealous of yourself!" Ruby giggled. Spinel took a moment to let that sink in before joining Ruby with her own laughter.

"So, you want to move in with me permanently, eh?" Ruby suddenly felt a bit shy and fiddled with her headband.

"Uh…yeah, if it's ok with you. I really like living here with you. And I like you…a lot…"

Spinel moved a little closer to Ruby then tapped her lightly on the nose.

"You know what, when I think about it I like you a lot too. In fact I think you're…"

"You better not call me cute, Spinel," Ruby grumbled with a smirk.

"Naw. I wouldn't do that to you. The word 'cute' wouldn't even come close to describing you. Let me see what fits you best…" Spinel quietly looked over her friend for a few seconds before coming up with an answer. "I got it. You are a scoop of badass with a dash of sass all rolled up in an adorable ball of sexy. How's that for accuracy?"

"Wow…that's different." Ruby also shifted closer to Spinel closing the gap between them. "I like it."

Now that they were so close and face to face, Ruby had worked up the courage to kiss Spinel. She noted the softness of her lips and the way the taste and scent of cigarettes lingered. She wasn't sure why, but Ruby liked that.

"Well aren't you a bold one. Stealing a first kiss," Spinel whispered as she returned the gesture.

"Hmmm…nice one, Spinel."

"Oh yeah? There's lots more where that came from…Scoop." Spinel pulled the giggling Ruby on top of her. The soldier smiled up at Ruby as she hugged her about the waist. She studied the smaller red Gem's features as she came to terms with her true feelings towards Ruby. "Damn it, Ruby. You must know some powerful magic to have me feeling things I haven't felt in centuries."

"Huh? What do you mean?"

"I'm not quite sure myself. I don't know how it happened but you got me fallin' for you hard. And you were slick with it too. How the hell did you do that?"

"I don't know! I don't remember doing anything special."

"Well, I have an idea. Just hear me out, ok? Why don't we take things slow and figure all this out together. I'll give up all my play friends so we can just focus on each other."

"Wow…you're willing to do all that for me?"

"Yes. If we're gonna be partners I'm going all in, baby. I take that shit seriously." She kissed Ruby on the lips as she playfully pulled at some of her dark curls.

"Since you put it that way, Spinel…I'm all in too." Ruby kissed her partner right back. Although Spinel's kiss had been tender and sweet, Ruby's was far from innocent. It was the kiss that officially sealed their close bond and marked the beginning of a beautiful, genuine, long lasting partnership.

Next Chapter: Fight for It!


	13. Chapter 13: Fight for It!

**AN: Thank you to everyone who voted in the poll. It's the day of reckoning for Andesine! As for the question asked about how I knew Jasper was from a Kindergarten, it was an educated guess. Rebecca Sugar is the Queen of Plot Clues. I'm also kind of obsessive about details when it comes to shows I watch. I pay attention to every word and action. Hee hee.**

Chapter 13: Fight for It!

Finally the day had come. The Dirty East transport was finally complete. It was considered a miracle that the project was completed on time. At a critical moment during construction there was a minor explosion involving one of the pipes. Unfortunately, Tiger-eye was sitting on that particular pipe and ended up buried in some rubble. The blacksmith's panicked friends scrambled to dig her out. Spinel prayed that Tiger-eye hadn't been poofed, knowing Jasper would be furious that the lieutenant let something happen to her partner while she was away on a mission. Finally Carnelian was able to dig Tiger-eye out and gather her love interest in her strong arms. For a brief moment Carnelian stood atop of the pile of rubble with Tiger-eye in her arms looking like quite the hero. That is until she attempted to kiss the blacksmith, who soundly slapped her in the face and jumped out of the soldier's arms to dust herself off. A few days later the pipe was replaced and the surrounding pillars were reinforced. The project was back on schedule.

After several successful test runs Commander Bloodstone hosted a grand opening of the transport station. The elliptical track stretched for miles from the entrance to the underground complex all the way to the surface. As a way of thanking all of the local residents who contributed to the construction of the transport system, Bloodstone allowed all of those who were present to ride it first. The lieutenants from Towers 1, 4, 8, and 10, accompanied by their partners, boarded the first car along with Commander Bloodstone. One by one the excited Dirty Easterners got into the cars behind the first ready to witness the results of all of their hard work. The doors shut with a hiss and for the first time in the history of Homeworld, the Eastern transport headed west to the surface. There were cheers all around as the transport pulled off, making its very first ascent.

Up on the surface the local warp pad was bustling with activity. Gems that had been sent off on missions were making their return just in time to see the completed transport system. Jasper and Andesine were back from their security escort mission with Emerald and a young Gem she was qualifying. Jasper was so glad to be back home. Being on a mission with Andesine was just plain awkward. Her former fling kept bringing up their non-existent relationship and how she didn't like how Jasper handled their 'split.' Jasper managed to keep her cool while reminding Andesine to keep things professional. Jasper had already decided that if Andie kept pushing the non-issue of their never established 'special relationship', she would have to thoroughly, publically, and painfully set the record straight.

As Jasper descended the steep staircase near the warp pad she noticed the crowd gathered on the transport station platform. Her fellow citizens of the Eastern Complex appeared to be in a celebratory mood, and Jasper could see why as she approached the hyped up group to be greeted by Commander Bloodstone.

"Welcome back, soldiers! As you can see we now have a complete and fully functioning transport system. Be sure to congratulate your colleagues on a job well done!"

Jasper was certainly proud of the results of all her friends' and colleagues' hard work, but she was mostly proud of her lovely, loyal partner and couldn't wait to get back to her. It didn't take Jasper long to locate her tall partner. Tiger-eye was celebrating with several other Gems when she spotted her love from afar. It wasn't long before the bubbly blacksmith was giving her partner a warm welcome.

"My Jaspy's back!" Tiger-eye squealed as she hugged her lover tightly. Jasper hugged her right back, lifting her partner a few inches off of the ground. "You see that we got the transport up and running. I was one of the first to ride! I wish you could have joined me."

"I wish I could have been there too, honey. At least we get to ride back home together."

"Oh, yeah, baby! You'll get to see all that hard work in action!"

As the couple boarded the soon to be eastbound transport Jasper noticed Carnelian and Andesine a few feet away. The two soldiers were engaged in conversation and looking towards Jasper and her partner. Jasper decided to ignore them as she boarded the transport with her partner. The celebration of the successful major project continued in the transport and even spilled over into the residential area. Jasper had never seen anything like it. Back West there most likely would never be any celebrating. Yellow Diamond would have just given fleeting congratulations and ordered everyone to get back to work.

As the Dirty East residents remained in high spirits, the personable Commander Bloodstone paid a visit to each of the five courtyards between to towers to talk to the talented Gems under her command. While Jasper spoke to the Commander, Tiger-eye waited patiently for her partner. It was at that time the blacksmith was approached by Andesine, who sat right next to her. Tiger-eye noticed that the normally antagonistic soldier was smiling at her. Tiger-eye wasn't letting her guard down though. She had a feeling Andesine had something up her sleeve.

"Hey, Tiger-eye. How's it goin'?" Andesine inquired with a very pleasant tone.

"Fine. Thanks for asking," the blacksmith responded, her voice dripping with skepticism.

"I see you and Jas seem to be getting along well."

"Yeah. What of it?"

Andesine leaned a bit closer and lowered her voice to keep their conversation private.

"Has Jas asked you to do any of that freaky shit she likes yet?"

"Wha…? That's none of your damn business!"

"She probably thinks you can't handle the kinky stuff. When we were living out West she loved it when I would stick my tongue in her…"

"Stop! I don't want to hear anything else from you!" Tiger-eye got up and started to walk away, but Andesine continued her sordid exposition as she followed her now agitated romantic rival.

"You know, if you refuse to do all the freaky stuff Jas likes she's gonna get bored with you and come back to me. She knows I'll do anything she wants. _Anything_."

"Damn it, I told you not to fuckin' talk to me! Now leave me alone!" Tiger-eye slapped the mouthy soldier hard across the face leaving her face striped with scratch marks. Infuriated that her lovely visage was marred by a lowly Tiger-eye, Andesine returned the favor with an even harder slap which knocked the blacksmith to the ground. By now other Gems nearby had noticed the confrontation. A scowling Andesine was standing over Tiger-eye, who was still recovering from the blow, taunting the blacksmith and goading her into a fight. When Tiger-eye attempted to get up from the ground Andesine raised a foot, ready to stomp her vulnerable opponent. Before her foot could even connect Andesine was knocked to the ground, falling hard on her left shoulder. As Andesine got up from the ground she saw the infuriated Jasper heading right for her.

"Jas, I don't want to fight you…"

"That's too bad. You put your hands on my partner so I take that as a personal challenge!"

Because she was unwilling to fight Jasper, Andesine did all she could to dodge her blows. Unfortunately for Andie, she couldn't avoid Jasper's wrath forever. Andesine was soon forced to defend herself, and at one point she managed to head butt Jasper in the face. Tiger-eye cried out, fearing that her partner's Gem may have been cracked. Jasper dismissed the blow as if it were just a minor annoyance and narrowed her eyes at the now terrified Andesine. That's when Jasper unleashed a beating that would go down in Dirty East history as one of the most brutal and humiliating known to Gemkind. The beat down got so intense that one of Bloodstone's lieutenants asked if she should try to break up the fight.

"No. It was bound to come to this, so just let them fight it out. I'll make sure no one gets shattered."

By now a quite sizable crowd had gathered to watch the beastly brawl.

"Holy shit, Spinel, this fight is epic," Ruby whispered in awe.

"Yeah. The only thing that would make this fight perfect is if somebody's tit pops out. Whoop, there it goes! Now that's what I call perfection!"

The fight was officially over once Andesine conceded defeat, begging Jasper to stop. The disheveled soldier stumbled to her feet while trying to hold her torn clothing together to cover her shame. Jasper wasn't finished with her yet, however. She grabbed her defeated opponent by the arm and practically dangled her before the on looking crowd.

"Would somebody please smash this bitch so she'll leave me and my partner alone?"

There was a moment of silence until one lone voice could be heard coming from the crowd.

"I'll fuck her. She still looks pretty hot to me!"

Jasper tossed Andie aside as the willing volunteer stepped forward only to be intercepted by an angry looking Carnelian. The metallurgist then helped her limping friend get to her personal quarters. Now that the fight was over Tiger-eye ran up to her beloved to immediately check Jasper for injuries.

"Jaspy, you ok? She head butted you pretty hard," the worried Tiger-eye stated as she checked Jasper's nose gem for cracks.

"I'm fine, honey. Are you all right?" Jasper frowned at the sight of a few scratches on her partner's pretty face.

"I'm good. I just got a few scratches. I'll heal."

"I should have ground that bitch into dust for hurting you," Jasper growled as she pulled her lover into her embrace.

"Don't bother, baby. I don't think she'll be bothering us anymore," Tiger-eye replied with calm reassurance as she kissed Jasper's gem, cooling her partners temper the way only she could.

"Come on, love. Let's go to my place. I want to tell you about my most recent mission."

"Oooh! I can't wait to hear all about it! Oh, before I forget, there's something I want to tell you. Andesine said some stuff to me and I want to know if it's true."

Tiger-eye then proceeded to whisper some of what Andesine had told her.

"She told you WHAT? That sick bitch!"

After the epic showdown between Jasper and Andesine, things calmed down for the most part. Every once in a while Tiger-eye would be summoned by Master Jet to hunt down a defective Gem, but those opportunities were few and far between. That was fine with Tiger-eye, as long as she had time to spend with her partner when she wasn't away on missions. Jasper was quite pleased with this arrangement as well. She was extremely happy to have a beautiful, loyal partner to come home to after missions off world. The soldier had just returned after an eighteen month away mission on Aquas 39. Jasper looked forward to sharing her experience with her lover. She was also excited about her planned proposal for her sweet partner. After the twenty minute ride on the east bound transport, Jasper made her way to Tiger-eye's quarters in Tower 8. At first Jasper knocked on the entrance then called out to her love. When there was no answer she produced a reddish brown crystal from her gem and opened the door. The couple had given each other access to each other's quarters out of mutual trust. Once Jasper realized there was no sign of Tiger-eye's presence a thought about her whereabouts came to mind.

' _She must be in the Lava Pits.'_

Once Jasper made it down to the Lava Pits she went into full blown tracking mode. It wasn't long before she heard her beloved Tiger-eye's voice coming from several yards away. A brief moment later she spotted her love lounging in one of the lava pools with Ruby, Spinel, and a blue Gem she didn't recognize.

"There you are. I figured I'd find you down here since you weren't at home." Jasper immediately had her partner's attention. She smiled as Tiger-eye ran into her waiting arms to joyfully greet her. She wasn't expecting her reddish brown lover to start humping her leg though.

"Dammit, Tiger-eye, calm down! I haven't been gone that long!"  
"B-but to me it seemed like…forever…" Tiger-eye looked up at her partner with the expression of a sad puppy.  
"Stop being so dramatic. It's embarrassing." With a sigh Tiger-eye went in for a normal hug. "That's much better."  
"I missed you, Jaspy."  
"I missed you, too." Tiger-eye's partner briefly greeted the others, who were still hanging out by the lava pool. "Hey, Spinel, long time no see."  
"'Sup, Jasper. I am so glad to see you. Now you can take that crazy ass off our hands so we can have a moment's peace." Jasper glanced down at a now sheepish looking Tiger-eye.  
"Have you been a pain in the ass while I was gone? Tell the truth."  
"Ummm…yeah…but only just a little!"  
"Only a little, huh? Then you won't mind a little discipline!" Tiger-eye let out a squeal as Jasper slung her over her broad shoulders. Tiger-eye kicked her lanky legs and cried out to the others for help, but it was all a ruse. Jasper knew her love was in a playful mood, and she was as well. Jasper's hard swat across her bottom let Tiger-eye know what her beautiful partner had in store for her.

Jasper carried her partner all the way to Tiger-eye's quarters. Jasper then set her partner down so she could open her door portal. The couple entered Tiger-eye's personal space filled with sparkling beaded curtains, cream colored furnishings with red and brown accents, with the sweet smell of incense lingering in the air. The bubbly Tiger-eye was all smiles when she turned to face her lover to see Jasper's serious expression.

"I don't know what you're smiling about. I haven't even begun your discipline yet. Now get over here and assume the position."

The blushing Tiger-eye obeyed, standing in front of her partner facing away from her. Having an idea what was coming, the blacksmith shut her eyes. She smiled when she felt a small, soft piece of fabric being tied around the top half of her face. She automatically raised her arms over her head crossing them at the wrist. Tiger-eye got even more excited as her taller partner tied her wrists together then attached the tether to one of the cream colored tassels hanging from her ceiling. Once she felt Jasper tug at her halter top, Tiger-eye understood that as the signal for her to expose her body construct.

"Ah. Looks like you're ready for a nice round of discipline, Ty," Jasper whispered softly while gliding her claws up and down her partner's sides. Jasper smiled as Tiger-eye giggled and squirmed at her touch. She got a more sensual response when she dug her claws in a little deeper. "Hnn…very nice. Shall we begin, my love?"

"Yes Ma'am!"

Tiger-eye thought she was mentally prepared for her discipline until she felt the sting of the first strike of Jasper's large hand on her backside. Since she was blindfolded she was caught off guard and couldn't contain her yelp of surprise.

"I like that response. Now to make things a little more…intense."

Jasper added some biting and pinching to the mix, much to Tiger-eye's delight. She had missed this type of play for the entire year and a half her beloved was gone. Jasper balanced out the pain with pleasure by kissing every part of her partner she had bitten, scratched or pinched. Tiger-eye's wonderful responses were getting the soldier very excited as well. Tiger-eye gasped when she felt Jasper lift her legs to wrap them around her waist. She wasn't sure if it was the sensory deprivation or the excitement from her partner being back home causing her responses to be stronger than usual. The lovers were sealed together in a passionate kiss when there was a loud knock at the door. Jasper was not happy about the interruption, so she put on her most intimidating expression as she answered the door. Her scowl was etched even deeper into her face at the sight of Carnelian on the other side of the door.

"What the fuck do you want?"

"Uh…I'm just here to get a message to Tiger-eye."

"Spit it out!"

"The dance battle will be starting soon, and she's the official host so…I suggest she head to the arena as soon as possible."

"Honey, do you know something about a dance battle tonight?" Jasper called back to her partner.

"Yeah, baby. Sorry I forgot to mention it. It kinda slipped my mind," the still bound and blindfolded Tiger-eye answered as Carnelian tried to peek past Jasper to see where her voice was coming from.

"What are you still standing here for?"

"I need to know if she's still coming or not."

"She'll be there. Now beat it."

Before Carnelian could say another word Jasper let the door shut in her face.

"We'll finish this later, honey. Now get dressed so we can go."

"I'd love too, but I'm kind of in a bind right now," Tiger-eye joked as she wriggled her hands which were still bound above her head.

"Sorry love," Jasper chuckled as she released her partner from the tethers. Once the pair arrived at the arena there was already a sizable crowd gathered. Jasper gave the pretty hostess a quick peck on the lips as she took her place on the arena stage. The soldier looked on proudly as Tiger-eye entertained and interacted with the crowd as they waited for the dance battle champion to arrive. Jasper admired how beautiful her partner looked under the bright stage lights. She also marveled at the elegant way she moved her body as she worked the crowd. Soon the current reigning Dance Battle champion made her entrance with her partner and a small blue Gem in tow. Once Ruby and Spinel got Sapphire settled in a nearby balcony, Tiger-eye stepped down off of the stage so the champion and her partner could officially open up the competition with a dance.

The Dance Battle emcee stood with her partner as Jasper wrapped her huge arms around her from behind. Tiger-eye smiled as she watched her two friends dance to a popular song in the Dirty East called 'Weightless.' It had a moderate beat with a heavy base and lyrics that in some part were quite explicit. The song was pretty much unheard of above ground since songs like that were banned in other places. While most of the Gems present were watching Ruby and Spinel dance, Jasper's focus was on her partner, who was moving to the music. Tiger-eye's discreet dancing caused her lithe body to rub up against Jasper, which stirred the soldier's excitement much to her embarrassment. Jasper loved watching her partner dance, which Tiger-eye was excellent at, probably due to the fact that she was a tiger-eye and dancing came naturally to them. The soldier just didn't like her lover to dance in public. Tiger-eye used to compete and was champion for a while about a century prior. However Jasper was made very uncomfortable by other Gems ogling her partner and practically drooling at the sight of her gyrating hips. Tiger-eye's erotic dancing style was for Jasper and Jasper alone, so out of respect for her partner Tiger-eye quit the competition circuit and became the official host.

After the champion's dance was over Tiger-eye got back to work hosting the event. There was a brief snafu when one of the competitors got cold feet and pulled out of the competition. Fortunately, Sapphire volunteered to compete to round even out the number. Once that was settled the emcee announced the official start of the competition.

"I'm gonna call out the moves. If you fuck it up you'll have to sit yo' ass down. If you both bring it the audience decides who did it the best. And don't forget…DON'T STOP UNTIL I TELL YOU TO STOP! CUE THE BEAT!" Tiger-eye let the beat play for a couple measures before she started to call out the moves.

 _Everybody knows about the rock, drop, pop_

 _You can't help but move to the rhythm cuz it's hot, hot, hot_

 _So rock your hips, drop it down, or just pop it all around_

 _Just keep movin' till I tell you to stop, stop, stop_

 _LET'S GO!_

 _Rock, rock, rock, rock_

 _Drop, drop, drop, drop_

 _Pop, pop, pop, pop_

 _SHOW ME WHAT YOU GOT!_

 _Rock, rock, rock, rock_

 _Don't stop rockin' til I tell ya to stop_

 _Don't stop rockin' til I tell ya to stop_

 _Don't stop rockin' til I tell ya to stop_

 _NOW STOP!_

The emcee stood behind each competitor and held her hand over each of their heads to poll the audience to choose the winner of each round. The loser of each round was unceremoniously booted from the stage. When the competition was in its final round that's when things got really serious really fast. Tiger-eye had never seen anything like it. Neither Ruby nor Sapphire messed up the steps no matter how she called them or mixed them up. She had never seen competitors move in perfect sync like this. They weren't even trying to outdo each other. All of a sudden the cheering audience grew quiet as just about all Gems present gazed in awe at what was occurring on stage. Tiger-eye was so mesmerized by the two glowing Gems she didn't even notice Jasper signaling to stop the competition. Just as Ruby and Sapphire's glowing light bodies began to merge a shout from the audience brought everything to a halt. Moments later an obviously furious Emerald burst from the crowd and stormed the stage.

"Sapphire, I was hoping I wouldn't find you in this dirty pit again, yet here you are! Not only that, I caught you grinding up against this dirty little shit!"

Those few sentences from the arrogant Qualifier set off Spinel like no one in the Dirty East had ever seen before.

"Bitch, don't you talk like that about my partner!"

"I call it like it is, and she's a dirty little shit through and through!"

"I'm gonna slap the taste outta yo' mouth, you stuck up bitch!"

Emerald and Spinel surely would have come to blows if Sapphire hadn't come between them, much to the disappointment to the Gems who were itching to observe a good fight. It wasn't long before Emerald came to her senses and quickly left with her partner. The crowd was a milling mass of confusion until the arena doors burst open. At the sight of Commanders Bloodstone and Rose Quartz all the lower ranking Gems fell in and stood at attention as Bloodstone addressed the crowd.

"My apologies for interrupting the Dance Battle, but I need Spinel to step forward. I need you to come with me to headquarters…and bring your partner."

After Ruby and Spinel left the arena with the two Commanders rumors immediately began to fly among the crowd. However the emcee only had one concern on her mind.

"Damn! How are we gonna choose a winner now?" she wondered aloud. Jasper didn't care about competition results though. She was feeling a bit disgusted by the unexpected occurrence on stage involving two little Gems called Ruby and Sapphire.

' _What did those two little brats think they were doing? And why did Ty stand there and watch instead of stopping them?'_

Jasper finally took charge of the situation and dispersed the crowd. There was no point in standing around trying to process all that craziness. After the arena was just about empty, Jasper took her partner by the hand.

"Ty, let's go home. There's nothing more to do here."

"Ok, Jaspy."

Tiger-eye linked her arm around her partner's and smiled up at her. Jasper responded with a hard glare, causing Tiger-eye to wonder if she did something wrong.

'Oh well, I'm sure we'll discuss it once we get home. But why do I get the feeling I'm in some kind of trouble?'

Next Chapter: Split


	14. Chapter 14: Split

Chapter 14: Split

On the night of what had to be the most bizarre dance battle in the history of dance battles, a pair of statuesque Gems arrived at Tiger-eye's quarters. In spite of the insanity that had unfolded, Tiger-eye was ready and willing to pick up where the couple had left off before the dance battle. However she could tell from the look in Jasper's eyes that her partner had an issue to settle with her.

"Ty, what the hell were you doing on stage during the final round?"

"Uh, what I usually do. Host the battle." Jasper grabbed her lover by the chin to capture her partner in her unwavering gaze.

"Don't get smart with me, honey. You know what was happening wasn't anywhere near normal. Now why didn't you stop those two brats from fusing?"

"Well…I thought about stopping them, but at the same time I was a bit curious to see the result."

"What? Are you crazy?"

"Uh, yeah. I thought you already knew that."

"Ty, be serious!"

"I am being serious! I don't get what the big deal is about fusion anyway…"

"It's indecent and a desperate attempt for weak Gems to get stronger! And it's certainly not appropriate for a fuckin' dance battle! It's a shame that I have to explain that to you! I feel bad for Spinel as well. She can't possibly be happy about seeing her partner doing something like that with another Gem, and in public. How embarrassing!"

"Oh…I didn't think about it that way."

"Obviously." Jasper suddenly grabbed Tiger-eye by the shoulders to look her dead in the eyes. "If you ever do anything like that to me I'd drop you both figuratively and literally into the heart of a volcano."

"Jasper…I would never do you like that."

"Good." The soldier's tone and expression softened as she kissed her partner to lighten the heavy mood. "Ty, you wanna finish what we started earlier?" Tiger-eye quickly held her arms above her head and crossed her wrists.

"Yes Ma'am!"

The amorous pair picked up from where they left off with their intimate play. This time Jasper left out the blindfold. She didn't want anything to keep her from seeing her lover's expressions as they enjoyed their time together. At one point, Jasper knelt down in front of her still bound partner to lift Tiger-eye's legs so that she was literally sitting on the soldier's shoulders. Jasper glanced up at her love to see her smiling down at her before having her first taste of her love since their separation. The words of adoration coming from her partner encouraged her to shower her with even more affection. At one point, Jasper untied her lover to give her a chance at a first taste as well. It was a rare moment of role reversal when Jasper would submit to Tiger-eye. It wasn't long before the couple was lost in each other's love. They had gone so far into the deep neither of them noticed something odd happening at Tiger-eye's front door at first. Eventually they both heard the blacksmith's voice coming from outside of Tiger-eye's quarters loud and clear.

"Oh, Jaspy! Take what's yours! That's right! Beat it up, baby!"

The voice definitely sounded just like Tiger-eye, but Jasper knew it couldn't possibly be coming from her partner since her mouth was…preoccupied. Jasper immediately got up and rushed to the door to investigate. Unfortunately once she poked her head out of the door and looked up and down the corridor she didn't see anyone.

"Fucking brats and their stupid pranks," she grumbled as she returned to lie down at her lover's side. Jasper pulled her close to kiss her shoulder. "Ty, it feels so good to be home with you again."

"Yeah. I'm glad you're back, Jaspy." Tiger-eye turned over to face her golden-eyed partner.

"Ty, there's something that's been on my mind the whole time I was away. I want to do something special for you."

"Oooh! Jaspy, I'm getting all excited! Tell me what it is, please!" Jasper chuckled at her sweet mate's enthusiasm.

"I want to take you to an incredible place I saw on Aquas 39."

"Jasper…you want us to go somewhere together off world? How romantic. I love the idea, but won't it be kind of dangerous for us to be seen together outside of the Dirty East?"

"Don't worry. I have things all planned out so that no one with even notice what we're doing. You just have to trust me."

"Baby, you know I trust you more than anyone."

"Good. Now let's take a bath, and then make yourself really pretty for me so we can get going."

"Yes Ma'am!"

It was still the dead of night when the couple left the residential area. There were very few Gems at the transport station. The loving couple boarded an empty car for their trip to the surface.

"This is our first trip off world together! I'm so excited!"

Jasper was looking forward to spending some romantic time with her love for a change, and at the same time showing her what another Gem controlled planet was like instead of just telling her. The clandestine pair knew that once they left the Dirty East they would have to be careful of how they behaved in public. A low ranking soldier being seen with a Tiger-eye in public was unheard of outside of the Eastern Complex. It was also forbidden since only Elite Gems were eligible to even acquire one.

As they boarded the local warp pad, the pair noticed a flash of light in the distance in the lava fields. Neither one had any clue what could have caused that flash, but since it didn't seem like a threat they ignored it, completely unaware of Ruby and Spinel's activities. Once the couple had made it to the Galaxy Warp Annex they parted ways to meet up again on Aquas 39. Prior to arriving Jasper had told Tiger-eye which warp pad to take to get to Aquas 39. Jasper left first while Tiger-eye waited thirty minutes to follow. Minutes later the blacksmith arrived on the literal water world. Aquas 39 was 90% water and teeming with all kinds of aquatic life.

Tiger-eye stepped down from the warp pad onto a small island with thick vegetation in the center surrounded by dark, sandy shores. Off shore she witnessed tall and wide, glassy, opaque pillars moving in the vast open waters. Each of the pillars was flanked by floating platforms. The curious Gem spotted her lover in the distance standing next to one of the platforms. Tiger-eye ran up to Jasper who immediately took her by the hand.

"Jasper, what is this place?"

"It's been dubbed The Sea Dragon Pillars," the soldier explained as she stepped onto the platform and bid her partner to follow.

"It looks amazing!"

"You think this is amazing? Just wait until you see what I want to show you."

The floating platform lifted them to one of the non-moving pillars when a door slid open before them. Once they stepped inside onto the platform in the middle of the pillar the door sealed itself behind them. Tiger-eye noticed that in spite of the pillar appearing opaque from the outside, from the inside it was crystal clear. Tiger-eye grabbed hold of Jasper's arm when she felt the pillar move further out into the presently calm waters then slowly and gently dip beneath the surface. Jasper held her startled partner close as the pillar glided through the sea. Tiger-eye smiled as she watched all kinds of unusual sea life swim by. She leaned against the railing to get a closer look at sea creatures of all different sizes and colors.

"Baby, this is incredible. I have never seen anything like this."

Tiger-eye grew quiet when right before her an eye the size of a bowling ball opened up right outside of the pillar. She watched in shock as an enormous, one hundred foot long, serpentine creature circled them. Its narrow maw was large enough to easily swallow them whole and was filled with long, razor sharp teeth. The blacksmith watched in stunned silence as the behemoth swam into even deeper waters.

"Jasper, what the hell was that?"

"That was a sea dragon."

"Why didn't you warn me that something like that was lurking about?"

Jasper chuckled as she wrapped her lover in her sheltering embrace.

"Don't worry, honey. I won't let anything hurt you."

"I know, but…I think I'm ready to go back home." Tiger-eye turned to kiss her partner lightly on the lips. "Thank you so much for bringing me here. This was much more fun than just hearing you tell me about it. This is definitely unforgettable."

"I'm so glad you liked it." Jasper pulled her partner close as she draped her arms about her waist. "When I become a Commander I'll be able to show you so much more. And since I'll be an Elite we won't have to hide the fact that we're together outside of the DE anymore."

"Oh, Jasper, you actually thought ahead that far?"

"Absolutely. In fact I just may become a Commander sooner than you think."

"Really? What makes you say that?"

"I have great news. I've been promoted to Lieutenant."

Tiger-eye gasped in surprise then squealed for joy at the news.

"Baby, that is so awesome! I am so proud of you! What do you wanna do to celebrate?"

"I'm already doing it. I'm spending time in a special place with the Gem I love. What more could I ask for?"

With that being said, the couple's first official off world date came to a joyful, affection filled end.

Over the next few weeks the couple did their best to spend as much time as they could together. That was a bit of a challenge since Jasper was now a lieutenant. She had more responsibilities now, and she spent a lot more time at Commander Bloodstone's headquarters. Tiger-eye was also busy redesigning swords for the members of the Diamonds. Tiger-eye was highly recommended by Commander Bloodstone when it came to custom weapon design. White Diamond was especially impressed with the experienced blacksmith's custom work. So much so that without the artisan Gem's knowledge, White Diamond had made a lucrative offer to Master Jet so the high ranking Elite could add the red Tiger-eye to her personal harem. Fortunately that offer was refused by the Guild Master. She couldn't have one of her best assassins sheltered away to submit to the whims of another Elite.

Things got even more complicated for the couple after Jasper got new orders from back West. The details of her newest mission had Jasper feeling quite distressed. She spent hours racking her brain trying to figure out how to break the news to her partner. She knew Tiger-eye wouldn't be happy about this. In fact, Jasper wasn't happy about the situation herself. Jasper contacted her partner via com station to make sure she was home from the weapons plant. When the soldier saw her love's smiling face she felt bad that the news she would share would surely wipe that beautiful smile away.

"Hi, Jaspy. How's the most beautiful lieutenant in the whole DE doing today?"

"Things could be better."

"What's wrong, baby?"

"I'll tell you when I come over."

"Ok."

Jasper took her time crossing the foot bridge as she pondered how to explain her situation to her partner. The soldier had a feeling that her beloved Tiger-eye would be extremely upset, and Jasper wasn't sure how she would handle that. When she finally made it to her partner's door she did her best to compose herself. Tiger-eye opened her door portal and watched her lover very closely as she invited her inside. Jasper looked uncomfortable, and that was far from normal to the concerned, reddish brown Gem.

"Baby, are you gonna tell me what's wrong?" Tiger-eye gently pleaded as she brushed her finger through Jasper's soft, wild locks.

"I received correspondence from back West about a new mission."

"Ok. That's good. The more missions you go on the more likely you'll get promoted."

"That is true. But there's more to it."

"What you mean?"

"The mission will be on a newly discovered planet and the mission is long term."

"Jaspy, this won't be the first time you've gone on a long term mission. I mean how long is it gonna be? A couple years tops?"

"Actually, I'll be gone for fifty to two hundred years, depending on how well the mission goes." Tiger-eye stared at her mate for a few seconds of bewilderment.

"Did you say fifty to two hundred years?"

"Yes."

"We…we've never been apart that long since we've been together…"

"I know, honey. I don't like it but it is what it is."

"Well…do you have to go?"

"Ty, you know Pink Diamond's orders are absolute."

"Yeah…you're right."

"There's also a slight possibility that I might have to move back West."

Tiger-eye grew quiet as she succumbed to a wave of sadness. She was deeply in love with Jasper, and the thought of not being with her for such an extended period was so heartbreaking.

"Jaspy, do you know who's going on the expedition with you yet?"

"Yeah, Captain Citrine will be in charge of the ISS Conquest. Then there's Yellow Beryl, Watermelon Tourmaline, Pyrite, Andesine…"

"Hold on…that bitch in going to be on the same ship as you?"

"Yes."

"What the fuck? How could you even stand to be on the same ship as her?"

"Honey, it's not that big of a deal. We've been on quite a few off world missions already and…"

"What? You've been going on missions on the regular with that nasty ass bitch and you never bothered to tell me? Why the fuck didn't you tell me?"

"Because…" Jasper growled through gritted teeth as Tiger-eye glared up at her.

"Because…? Just spit it out! I wanna hear your explanation for this shit!"

"Because of how you're acting right now!" Jasper finally shouted, losing her temper.

"Oh, so now I'm wrong to be upset about you being millions of miles away travelling in close quarters on a space ship with the same bitch you used to fuck with before you got with me? I'm supposed to be ok with that?"

"You do realize that I have no desire to do anything with Andesine, right?"

"The only shit I realize is that bitch is going to be around you for up to two hundred years while I'm here!"

"Ok, that's it! I'm out!" The now infuriated Jasper headed for the door.

"What? Where you goin'?"

"Out! I'm done with this shit!"

"What you mean?"

The angry soldier didn't even respond as her equally upset partner followed her out of the door.

"Don't follow me, Ty." The non-compliant Tiger-eye did the opposite, so Jasper pushed her mate back inside the door. Startled by Jasper's actions, Tiger-eye lost her balance and fell to the floor. By the time she scrambled back to her feet and ran out to call after Jasper, the blacksmith realized her lover was gone. Tiger-eye ran to the Tower 8 elevator but didn't see any sign of Jasper their either. She ran three floors down then raced across the foot bridge to Jasper's quarters. When she banged on the door there was no answer. She produced the shard to unlock Jasper's door then hastily went inside. She searched every corner of Jasper's home but didn't see any evidence of her presence. Tiger-eye spent hours searching every place she could think of hoping to find her partner, but to no avail. By the time the distressed Gem made it to the transport station platform she had given up on her search. By now the heart broken Gem was a weeping mess. She collapsed in a heap of sorrow on a nearby bench completely oblivious to onlookers frowning and shaking their heads at the pitiful sight. She didn't care what any other Gem thought of her. She only cared about her partner and regretted her angry words towards her love.

All the time Tiger-eye had been searching frantically for her partner, Jasper had been doing her best to cool her temper by taking a solitary stroll through the lava fields on the surface. In spite of the solitude Jasper still felt as if her emotions would boil over and explode any second. As she walked among the hardened lava flows she came across what appeared to be a not so ordinary rock formation. When she examined it closely she noticed an uncanny resemblance to a well-known Commander with a pink cloud of curly hair. It was clear that someone sculpted this, but the soldier had no clue who they could be. The details were pretty accurate and it was well proportioned. Whoever sculpted it had to be highly skilled. Jasper shrugged these thoughts off to sit in the shadow of the sculpture and meditate for a while to calm herself. Her and her partner's argument had her feeling frustrated and a little worried about their bond. She and Tiger-eye had occasionally had little spats, but their emotions never ran as high as now. Their previous spats were more like teasing than anything. This time it was a full blown, anger fueled conflagration. Jasper had gotten to a point where she felt she had to get as far away from her partner as possible. She had never felt that way towards her partner before, and that was very disturbing to the contemplative Gem.

After she calmed down enough to filter through all the unimportant issues, she focused on the most important issue. She loved Tiger-eye more than anything and wanted to put her mind at ease about her being far away for so long. She was deeply hurt that her lover didn't seem to trust her to keep things professional between her and Andesine, but at the same time she understood her concern. It didn't make her feel any better about the issue though. There was only one way to resolve all of this. Sit down with her lover and talk things out without yelling, making wild accusations, or any such nonsense. Now that her emotional state had evened out, Jasper decided to head back to Tiger-eye's quarters so the couple could talk.

Jasper made her way down the staircase to the transport platform just in time to see the transport pull off.

"Damn it! Now I gotta wait at least an hour for the next one!" The soldier grumbled as she settled on a nearby bench. Almost two hours later an irritated Jasper finally made it back to her lover's quarters. She let herself in and called out to her sweet Tiger-eye, ready to make up with her as soon as possible.

"Ty-ty, you here?"

"I'm in the next room, Jaspy."

"Well, get your sexy ass out here with me. I need to relieve some stress…" A smiling Jasper stopped short at the room door once she noticed that her partner was not alone. After a few seconds of awkward silence Tiger-eye's diminutive neighbors left quietly, leaving the partners alone at last.

"Ty, you could have at least warned me about you having company!" Jasper fussed. The soldier smirked as her mate giggled cutely.

"I'm sorry, baby. I didn't have enough time to tell you Scoop and Big Sexy had paid me a visit. I'll do better next time." Jasper sighed as she shook her head and pressed a hand on her partner's cheek. She frowned when she felt dampness.

"Honey…have you been crying?" Tiger-eye averted her eyes as more tears welled up.

"Y-yeah."

"Why?"

"Because…I wasn't sure if you were coming back."

"Why the hell would you think that?" Jasper asked as she traced her thumb across her lover's quivering chin.

"Cuz you said you were done and you just left and up and disappeared on me. By the way, how did you disappear so fast?"

"I…uh…jumped down from the balcony."

"What the…? Baby, we're eight floors up!"

"I know. I'm ok. I landed on my feet."

"And you call ME crazy! That was just out there!" The pair shared a good natured laugh before Tiger-eye steered their conversation back on track. "Umm…Jasper, are you…done with me?"

"Honey, there's nothing in all existence that would make me want to be done with you."

"Then why did you say what you said?"

"Tiger-eye, when I left I wasn't walking out on you. I was walking out on the argument. I was getting really upset and I didn't want to say or do anything to hurt you. Looks like I ended up hurting you anyway." Jasper leaned in to kiss her lover's damp cheek. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry for keeping things from you, and I'm sorry that I made you cry."

"Oh, baby, you don't have to apologize. I was acting like a bratty bitch. I know you'd never cheat on me, and I'm sorry for implying that you would." Tiger-eye quietly laid her head on her partner's bosom. "I'm so in love with you it makes me think and act crazy sometimes."

"Hey, I know the feeling," Jasper lovingly teased as she stroked her mate's long brown hair. "I'm in love with you too. No great distance or amount of time can change that." The love struck soldier cupped her lover's face in her hands as she gazed into those lovely light brown eyes. "No one can take away what's yours and mine." Tiger-eye's tears were now replaced by a beautiful, broad smile.

"I see what you did there, baby," the blacksmith chuckled. "I want to let you know that I'm so proud of you. You have all my love and respect. I promise to wait faithfully and patiently for you. Does that sound acceptable to you, Lieutenant?"

"Quite acceptable."

The pair made quite a few promises to each other that day. With each kiss, loving touch, and endearing word, they made it clear to one another that they had every intention of keeping every one of those promises.

Next Chapter: Casualties of War


	15. Chapter 15: Casualties of War

Chapter 15: Casualties of War

A few days after Jasper and Tiger-eye's blowup, the newly promoted lieutenant prepared to leave on the grand expedition to Earth. She didn't have to bring much since all the supplies for the expedition, such as warp pad components, extra weapons, and wailing stones, would be stored on the ship. She was pleasantly surprised when her partner had a special gift waiting for her. Tiger-eye gave Jasper a small prism to take with her on her long journey.

"This is very pretty, honey."

"I'm glad you like how it looks, but it's not really for decoration. It's a recording device. I cast a spell on it and recorded something special for you on it. To unlock it and listen to my message you have to speak a specific phrase into it." Tiger-eye cupped her hands over the pyramid to avoid activating the device too soon and divulged the secret phrase to her lover. Jasper couldn't help but smile upon hearing those special words then kissed her love before storing the gift in her gem.

"Thank you. I'll make sure to listen to it after I get settled on the ship."  
The couple took their time walking hand and hand on their way to the transport station. Neither one of them was looking forward to their long separation, so they made sure their parting would be a good one. There was no mention of their previous argument and neither brought up any upsetting issues that would most likely start a new argument. While waiting for the transport to arrive Jasper leaned against a wall next to a support pillar. She pulled her partner close, noticing her sad expression.

"Ty, what's it gonna take to make you smile right now?"

"Ummm…maybe Pink Diamond cancelling the expedition?" Jasper chuckled as she kissed her lover's forehead.

"I figured you'd say something like that."

"Wishful thinking," Tiger-eye muttered as she nuzzled her partner's neck.

"Honey, can I have my goodbye kiss?" Jasper requested in a surprisingly sweet tone, especially for her. Tiger-eye readily complied, starting with a soft kiss on Jasper's neck. That one kiss sparked a thousand more. The pair was so enamored of one another they didn't notice Ruby and Spinel sitting down on a nearby bench, nor did they notice a nosy Carnelian inching closer in an attempt to break up their make out session. Jasper finally noticed the interloper out of the corner of her eye.

"What the hell do you want?" Jasper growled as she gave her wanna-be rival a death glare. Carnelian simply smirked right back.

"I'm assuming you're heading back out on another mission…" Jasper continued to glare at the smug Gem. "Rumor has it this mission is long term."

"Your point?"

"Well, I was thinking that maybe while you're away I could, uh, take care of your pretty partner for ya. Wouldn't want her getting' lonely, right?" Carnelian shot Tiger-eye a flirty glance. Tiger-eye's response to that was a roll of the eyes.

"Is this your idea of a fucking joke?"

"Actually, I'm dead serious," Carnelian responded with a wiggle of her brow. She gagged when a very strong hand grabbed her by the throat.

"Actually, you're about to be just plain dead," came Jasper's rebuttal in a bone chilling whisper. In the blink of an eye Carnelian was slumped against another pillar knocked unconscious as the westbound transport finally arrived. Jasper milked every last second before her departure. The only thing that broke their kiss was the transport doors hissing shut between her and her partner. The dedicated soldier smiled when her partner mouthed the words 'I love you' as the transport pulled off. She blew Tiger-eye a quick kiss as the transport headed west. Soon Jasper boarded the local warp pad that took her to the Central Hub, which is where the launch pad for the imperial and escort space ships were located.

Jasper took her time walking along the huge launch pads as she watched the Gem technicians loading all the important equipment, such as warp pad components, and wailing stones, onto the various ships. As she approached the ISS Conquest she spotted Captain Citrine discussing something with one of the technicians. Jasper saluted the captain, who proceeded to lead her onto the ship.

"You are one of the first of the expedition team to show up. My Pearl will show you to your quarters. After you get situated meet me on the control bridge. We'll be launching soon after the rest of the team arrives."  
Jasper quietly settled in, setting up her temporary quarters to her liking. Since she now had some private time, she took out the little pyramid her beloved had given her. She placed it in her left palm and recited the spell Tiger-eye had whispered to her. The pyramid lit up and opened like a flower in bloom. A holographic image of a very familiar face appeared. It was apparent that Tiger-eye had recorded an audio-visual message for her partner, much to Jasper's delight.

 _"Hi, Jaspy. By now you're probably well on your way to take on another mission. I'm sure that wherever you go and whatever you do it will be awesome, because, well, you're overflowing with awesomeness! Although I'll miss you while you're away, don't let anything or anyone, including me, stop you from becoming even greater than you already are. I'm not gonna lie and say waiting for you is gonna be easy, and I'm not gonna make any promises that I can't keep. For instance, I'm not gonna promise I won't cry, because I will. Just not all the time. Well, shit, I'm crying right now! Anyway, there are some promises I can keep. I'm going to wait for you, be faithful, and continue to be so very proud that I have the best, most beautiful partner in all of Homeworld. I love you, Jasper. Or should I say 'Commander Jasper?' See you soon, love."_

The message ended with Tiger-eye blowing five kisses and smiling through her tears before blinking out. The pyramid folded closed as Jasper sat for a moment in quiet contemplation of the loving message left by her partner. As she cupped the shimmering object in her hands she barely noticed her own tears. Jasper had never been one to succumb to emotion, except for rage on occasion. Yet this one pretty little Tiger-eye brought out a soft vulnerability in her that no other Gem could. Jasper internally vowed to do whatever it took to make sure her love got whatever she desired. All she had to was ask and Jasper would do everything in her power to make it happen.

After listening to the message two more times, Jasper stored the pyramid in her Gem then composed herself and left her quarters to meet up with the rest of the ship's crew on the bridge. The control bridge was bustling with activity as the flight crew prepared the space ship for launch. Ten minutes before launch the seats for the rest of the crew rose from the floor right on cue. Captain Citrine took her place in the seat front and center right behind the control board while the rest of the crew chose their respective seats, which conformed to the size and shape of each individual Gem's body construct.  
Once all crew members were secured in their seats the countdown to launch began. Jasper was seated at the end of the second row with Andesine to her left. Although their relationship was strained, the two soldiers had managed to salvage their friendship over time. The two had come to an understanding about boundaries and showed each other mutual respect…for the most part.

"Hey, Jas, everything good with you?"

"Pretty much."

"Are you sure?" Jasper gave her friend a hard glare before answering.

"Quite sure."

"That's strange, cuz your face is telling a totally different story. You miss your partner, don't you?"

"Of course. You don't seem to miss yours though."

"Who the hell are you talking about?"

"Carnelian, of course."

Andesine immediately burst into laughter.

"Wow, Jas, you're hilarious! Carnie and I being partners is like you being part of Pink Diamond's harem! It ain't happening! Carnie and I are just play friends."

"Oh. Well then I guess you won't be upset that Carnelian hit on my partner."

Andesine's laughter came to an abrupt end.

"What do the two of you see in that…? Ugh, never mind." The pair grew quiet as the ship rose into the atmosphere. Jasper looked down when she felt Andesine softly patting her on the knee in an attempt to cheer her up. That made the soldier smile a little. Andesine wasn't 100% bitch all the time.  
After the ship broke orbit all of the crew that wasn't occupied with piloting the ship retreated to their quarters. Jasper wasted no time contacting her favorite reddish brown Gem. It made the soldier happy to hear the familiar, adorable squeal of joy from her partner.

"Hi, Jasper!"

"Hello there, beautiful."

"I wasn't expecting to hear from you so soon. I just watched the ship launch not too long ago!"

"We just broke orbit. You know I wasn't going to waste any time contacting the Gem I love."

"Aww, you are so sweet!"

"Only for you, honey. How are you holding up so far?"

"I'm doing ok. If it wasn't for Carnelian, I would be doing better," Tiger-eye grumbled.

"What did that bitch do this time?"

"She had the nerve to put her hands on me! I wasn't puttin' up with that shit, so I pushed her ass down the hill." That mental image of Carnelian tumbling down a hill gave Jasper a good chuckle.

"Honey, I'm so proud of you. I knew I had nothing to worry about while I'm gone."

"I know that's right. So, did you get to listen to my message?" Jasper's jovial mood suddenly became serious.

"Yes. I loved every second as much as I love you."

"Oh, Jasper…you're gonna make me cry…" the flustered Tiger-eye whispered as she fanned her face with one of her war fans.

"Good. It'll be payback for making me cry."

"Jaspy…you cried?"

"All three times that I listened to your message."

"The funny thing is I tried over and over again to record the message without crying, but I failed, so the final take is what you got. Sorry, baby."

"Don't be sorry. It was beautiful, just like you."

"Jaspy, stop before you make me melt!"

The smitten couple continued their conversation for hours until there were signs that the communication signal was weakening.

"Ty, it looks like we're about to lose the connection. I love you, honey. I'll contact you again as soon as I can."

"I love you too! I'll be…for…call….see….soon…."

The connection was lost for the time being. The ship had entered an asteroid belt which was causing interference. Even communication between the ships was a little spotty, but the problem wasn't as severe as the interrupted connection back to Homeworld. After passing through the asteroid belt communication with Homeworld was restored to a degree. It was spotty and use of private communication wasn't recommended. Jasper did send encrypted messages to her partner every now and then when she had the chance. She knew once they landed private communication would be unavailable until a communication hub was completed on the new planet.  
After a long journey through space the three ships landed on the dark side of the Earth's single moon. The crews from each ship were split up into teams. Jasper was made security escort for Team Rose Quartz. All was well in the tall soldier's eyes since by working with Gems she was familiar with besides Andesine she could put distance between her and her former play friend, thus avoiding any possible awkwardness.

Once their shuttle craft landed Team Rose Quartz got right to work setting up a local warp pad and began the project of building Rose's Healing Fountain while Jasper patrolled the perimeter. She patrolled twice and saw that everything was all clear. As usual, Jasper's thoughts went to her love back on Homeworld. She wondered how she was coping with the current lack of communication. She imagined her sad little Tiger-eye moping and crying a lot. Then again she did have a way of keeping her spirits up with her odd sense of humor. For the time being there was no way of knowing how her partner was doing.

 _'I want to see her and hold her so badly right now. How the hell am I going to be able to take fifty years of feeling like this? I'm bound to go insane!'_

By now Jasper had made it back from walking her rounds. She leaned against a nearby boulder with thoughts of her partner weighing heavily on her mind. At one point a tender voice called the soldier out of her deep thoughts.

"Hello, Jasper. Is everything all right?"

"Yes, Ma'am. The perimeter is secure for now."

"Oh no, no…What I mean is, are you all right?"

"I'm fine."

"Are you sure? You seem a bit distracted. Is something, or someone on your mind?"

Jasper stood up straight to look directly into the pink haired Commander's smiling face, wondering if her train of thought was really that obvious.

"Perhaps it's someone special back on Homeworld?" Rose continued.

"How did you…?" Jasper paused to clear her throat and her thoughts. "Yes." Rose Quartz clasped her hands together and squealed with delight.

"I knew it! I recognize that look anywhere. You're in love!" Jasper's face was immediately flush with embarrassment.

"Uh, I mean no disrespect, but I'm not comfortable with this conversation so…I'm going to walk my rounds. I should be back in an hour."

Jasper was completely oblivious to Rose's disappointed expression as she once again ventured out to walk her rounds. In her travels she came across a group of bipedal creatures she had never seen before. She ducked out of sight so they wouldn't be aware of her presence as she observed them. The group was sitting around a fire. Some were facing outward from the group, and were armed with rudimentary weapons that appeared to be wooden spears with stone tips and simple bows and arrows. The rest of the group sat closer to the fire, occasionally stoking the flames. One pair of the brown skinned beings caught Jasper's attention. The larger, broad shouldered one had its arm around the smaller, more delicate looking one. Although the rest of the group seemed to be conversing amongst themselves, that pair was focused one each other. Occasionally they would smile at each other, cuddle, and even kiss.

 _'Is it possible that they could be…partners?'_ Jasper wondered as the couple separated from the group. The larger one of the pair carried a flaming stick as it lead the smaller one by the hand. Without realizing it, the couple had given Jasper a clear view of what they were doing. The larger creature looked around then exposed its lower extremities to the smaller creature. That's when Jasper got an eye-full of something very strange. The larger creature appeared to have an extra appendage between its legs. If that wasn't strange enough, when the smaller one started handling the odd appendage it appeared to grow in length and thickness. _'Is it possible that these creatures have the ability to shapeshift to some degree?'_

Jasper was completely mesmerized by the bizarre behavior of these creatures. The larger one put its strange appendage inside of the smaller one in places Jasper would have never imagined. From the sound of things the two of them seemed to be enjoying their oddly interesting activities very much. That's when Jasper had a thought. She wondered what would happen if she imitated this weird, alien version of shapeshifting to have some experimental fun with her partner. She smiled at the possibilities for lots of enjoyable moments with her beloved Tiger-eye. Not long after that she was frowning as she realized she would have to wait at least fifty years before she could even give it a try.

Fifty years later Jasper got her chance, thanks to a special assignment given to her partner. After the Communication Hub on Earth was complete and fully functional, Jasper didn't waste any time contacting her lover back on Homeworld. The Gem on the soldier's mind was right where she needed to be. Tiger-eye had waited such a long time to see and hear her love so she made sure she wouldn't miss this important call.

"Hi Jaspy. You miss me?"

"You know I do, you crazy bitch." Jasper smirked when she heard that cute giggle she knew and loved.

"Why you lookin' so serious?"

"Because…it's been way too long since we've seen each other in person."

"Well then, have I got good news for you. I'm coming to Earth, baby." Jasper's expression brightened upon hearing that good news.

"How did you manage that, Ty?"

"I'll be there short term on official capacity to help set up a Kindergarten there. That means we'll finally get to see each other, and you'll get to enjoy all of this."

Tiger-eye grinned as she lifted her halter top, giving Jasper a preview of what's to come. The orange Gem quickly covered the com station screen with her massive hands as her face burned with embarrassment.

"Ty, cut it out! This is a public com station. Someone could walk by and see!"

"Oh shit!" The blacksmith quickly pulled her top back down as Jasper composed herself. "Sorry, baby. I got a little excited there."

"You're not the only one." Jasper leaned in close to the screen and lowered her voice. "I can't wait to get a hold of that beautiful body."

"Really, now?" Tiger-eye replied with a slightly teasing tone.

"Yeah, really. I hope you're ready for me."

"Jaspy, I've been ready this whole time. I just hope you're ready for the Tiger."

"I'm always ready, honey."

Several days later Tiger-eye arrived at the Galaxy Warp Annex on Earth with several other Gems. She was dressed in her official work jumper and her face bore an expression that told other Gems that she was there for business, not pleasure. When the blacksmith spotted the eight foot tall beauty waiting for her afar off, it took all the self-control she had not to leap off of the warp pad to run into her beloved's arms. The blacksmith stopped several feet in front of Jasper and snapped to attention giving a perfect salute.

"Ensign Tiger-eye of Eastern Military Complex Section R-6 reporting in official capacity."

"At ease." Tiger-eye immediately relaxed her stance before the higher ranking Gem. "How long until you report for duty at the Kindergarten site?"

"Exactly one week from today, Ma'am."

"Good. That will give you enough time to get settled in the barracks and have a look around. Come with me."

As the reunited couple headed towards the local warp pad, Tiger-eye was a bit startled to see Jade walking about. Tiger-eye quickly acknowledged Jade with a fleeting hand sign of the Dark Cross Guild before mounting the warp to stand next to Jasper. Seeing her former team mate put the blacksmith on high alert, so that made her extra cautious about what she said and did in public. That's the main reason why she waited until they were caught up in the warp stream, far from prying eyes, to kiss Jasper for the first time in fifty years. That kiss expressed everything that she really wanted to say when she first laid eyes on her partner after five decades.  
Jasper was having her own internal struggle. She wanted to badly to scoop up her lovely Tiger-eye, carry her off to her quarters in the barracks, and make up for lost time with total abandon. However, the sensible part of her knew that would be extremely risky. Fortunately, the soldier had planned ahead so the pair could have some time alone. She took her partner to a place called Mask Island. Since Tiger-eye rarely got to travel outside of Homeworld, she was quite impressed with this location, with its lush jungle and serene landscape. Jasper was pleased that her lover had such a positive response. However, she hadn't brought her partner to the island to admire the view. The soldier lead her to a hidden cave behind one of the island's numerous waterfalls. The couple went deeper into the cave until the sound of the rushing waters was reduced to a dull roar. As she looked over her partner under the light of a single glowing orb, Jasper could no longer resist touching her mate. She knelt behind Tiger-eye to kiss her gem in the small of her back. They were alone at last. The fifty year long wait to enjoy each other was over.

"Ty, I want to show you something."

Jasper guided the blacksmith's view downward. Tiger-eye beheld a curious sight as her partner shapeshifted a specific part of her body construct.

"Jasper, what the hell is that? A giant finger?"

"I'm not sure what it's called, but I've noticed some humans have it."

"Hoo…mans?"

"They're supposed to be this planet's dominant species. I find them rather stupid, but I must admit they can be quite entertaining."

Tiger-eye glanced back down at the odd appendage. It looked rather interesting in the dim light. She worked up the courage to touch it. It definitely didn't feel like a finger, and it didn't function like a finger either. Jasper bit her bottom lip to maintain control of herself as she let her lover explore.

"Umm, Jaspy, what are you supposed to do with this thing?"

"Let me show you, honey." Jasper removed her lover's sarong and tossed it aside, draped Tiger-eye's arms over her broad shoulders, then pressed the blacksmith's back against the rock wall. Jasper smiled as her partner's eyes grew wide with shock. The pair grew still as they both took in this new sensation.

"Hnn…this feels kind of good." Tiger-eye shuddered and gasped when Jasper swiveled her hips and pressed her body even closer. "So how do you like it so far, honey?"

"It…it feels pretty damn good," came the blacksmith's breathless response. Although things were a little awkward at first, it didn't take long for the couple to work out their own rhythm. The partners were having so much fun with their experiment Jasper couldn't help thinking that although the humans were not too bright, they sure had a good idea of what feels good.

The couple got so caught up in each other that they lost track of time during their experimental play time. After several hours they were ready for another round when they heard other voices within the cave. The two tall Gems composed themselves as lilting laughter echoed throughout the dim cavern. Jasper gave her lover a signal to keep quiet before the pair went to investigate. When they peeked around the corner they saw a Gem they both recognized. Tiger-eye simply knew her as the bitch that was always talking shit about the Dirty East. Jasper knew her as an annoying Qualifier she did security work for on a few previous missions. The couple observed Emerald with another Gem, who had blue colorings and short, wispy hair. It was soon made clear why the smaller pair was there when they began to kiss and fondle each other.

 _'Hold on…that ain't Sapphire,'_ Tiger-eye pondered. _'Who's this bitch?'_ Jasper didn't seem the least bit interested in finding out who the unfamiliar Gem was though. Since the smaller pair was distracted the soldier took her love by the hand to lead her out of the cave without being seen. Soon the pair emerged in a lush jungle. Once they were several hundred yards away, Tiger-eye turned to Jasper with anger burning in her light brown eyes. "That's some fucked up shit right there. That's Sapphire's partner messin' around with some other Gem. I should put that bitch on blast."

"Ty, leave it alone. It's none of our business." Jasper grew quiet and headed towards the local warp pad.

"What you mean?"

"Exactly what I said. Now let's go."

"That's fucked up. I would want to know if you were steppin' out on me. And I'm sure you would want to know if I was doin' that shit."

"Ty, drop it. Let's go."

Tiger-eye grew silent, but that didn't quench her anger about the situation. She felt that Sapphire, being the sweet Gem she was, didn't deserve such blatant disrespect from her partner. Jasper, on the other hand, felt that none of this was their damned business and left the issue alone. She was fully aware of the Qualifier's reputation, and figured if her current partner wasn't aware of that by now that was her own fault. As long as her Tiger-eye was faithful to her, that's all that mattered to Jasper.

During her brief time working on earth, Tiger-eye would secretly meet up with Jasper when possible. Unfortunately, that time came to an end once the metallurgist completed building metal components for the Kindergarten Injectors. Her presence was no longer needed so she was sent back to the Dirty East. Jasper and Tiger-eye shared a private goodbye before the blacksmith returned to Homeworld. Meer months after Tiger-eye's departure, all hell broke loose. It turned out that not just one, or two Gems had gone awol, but a total of three were missing. Ruby, Sapphire, and Spinel were nowhere to be found on Earth. It was now common knowledge among the Elites on Earth and Homeworld that it was urgent that Spinel aka Rubellite be found. The elusive Gem was carrying the deadly Praxiz parasite in her gem. With a heavy heart, Rose Quartz recruited some of the best trackers among her crew to locate and retrieve Spinel and send her to The Institute.

During the debriefing, Jasper was shocked to learn that Spinel and Rubellite, the Beast of the Battlefield, were one and the same. With this new information the soldier knew that subduing the desperate Gem would be a challenge. Rose Quartz also informed her that she would be working with the certified Qualifier, Emerald. Although Jasper wasn't fond of working with the demanding and quite arrogant Emerald, she knew she had a job to do. At the same time she was not looking forward to returning to the dreaded Institute for quarantine. Unfortunately she wouldn't be able to avoid revisiting her previous experience there.

In the meantime, Tiger-eye had settled back into her routine on Homeworld in the Eastern Military Complex. She had grown worried over time since it had been a while since she had heard from her beloved partner. Every day after her shift she would rush to her quarters to see if Jasper had left her any messages. One day her persistence paid off. Jasper finally contacted Tiger-eye, but the blacksmith immediately noticed that something was off when she viewed the holographic screen. Jasper was obviously not contacting her from the Communication Hub on Earth. Jasper was also wearing a sterile white jumper. Tiger-eye quickly realized, much to her horror, where Jasper was contacting her from.

"Jasper, where are you?" Tiger-eye asked hesitantly, although she already knew the answer.

"I'm in the HRI."

"Why?"

"I'm in quarantine. I just got back from a mission on the fourth moon of Praxiz, so this was to be expected."

"Why the hell did you have a mission to that gem-forsaken place?"

"Remember the three Gems that had gone awol? Turns out that they were hiding out there, of all places. If it wasn't for a tip we got from Emerald's lab workers we probably would have never found them. Unfortunately, because of where they were hiding all of us involved in the mission and the missing Gems had to be quarantined."

"Are they going to be running tests?"

"Yes. Once a week for six weeks."

"Oh…" Tiger-eye began wringing her hands at the possibility that her partner might have been infected with the parasite. Just the thought of losing Jasper forever caused a dull pain in her chest.

"Honey…don't worry. I'm going to be ok."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes. I promise you I'll be home before you know it. You just have to trust me."

"I trust you, Jasper. I just don't trust those fuckers from The Institute."

"Neither do I, honey, so I understand how you feel. Just trust me more than you don't trust them, ok? I love you and miss you too much to not come out of this place in one piece. I'll be seeing you in six weeks, love."

"Ok. I love you, Jasper..." The agitated Tiger-eye paused to wipe away her tears.

"I love you too, Ty. Please don't cry. Everything is going to turn out ok."

As soon as the couple ended their conversation Tiger-eye immediately contacted her old friend at The Institute.

"Milky Quartz here."

"Hi, Milky," Tiger-eye greeted with a voice soft as a downy feather.

"Oh, hello, Tiger! It's been a while since I've heard from you. You look upset. Is everything all right?"

"Actually, things are kind of shitty right now. Could you do me a favor?"

"What's up?"

"Some friends of mine are quarantined there. Could you like…discreetly check up on them every now and then, and tell me how they're doing?" Tiger-eye waited patiently as Milky Quartz quietly gave her request some thought.

"I'll do it, but only because it's you, friend. And I promise to be discreet. You know it's funny that you asked this of me. Just the other day Jade asked me to do the same for someone important to her. I thought it was strange that she referred to another Gem in that manner."

"Yeah, that is weird. You think I should contact her to find out what's up?"

"Nah. Knowing Jade she'll just shut down the whole conversation. She's in deep denial when it comes to her emotions. Sometimes I wish she would vent just a little. I worry about her emotional stability at times."

"Awww, Milky. You care about little Jade."

"Huh? Well…yeah, she's a long-time friend. Of course I care about her well-being. It's only natural, you know?"

"Yeah. Sure. Whatever you say. Just keep me posted about my friends."

"Will do!"

The next six weeks were some of the most nerve wracking weeks of the blacksmith's life. Milky Quartz kept her word about keeping Tiger-eye informed about the state of her friends. Unfortunately, Milky didn't have any information about Tiger-eye's long-time neighbor. Apparently Spinel wasn't in the quarantine wing of the Institute. Tiger-eye had a very bad feeling about that bit of information. At the same time Jasper did her best to contact her lover whenever possible. Strange as it seemed, Jasper was more concerned about Tiger-eye's well-being than her own. Calming her partner's fears paid off in the end. All of Jasper's test results came back negative.  
After the formerly quarantined party of four arrived at the Galaxy Warp Annex Jasper separated from the rest of the group to contact her partner. When Tiger-eye failed to answer the com station in her quarters, Jasper assumed she was at the weapons plant. When one of the gofers answered she ordered the little Gem to get Tiger-eye to the com station.

"Hey, Jaspy. Sorry it took so long for me to answer. Carnelian was being a pain in the ass!"

"Remind me to kill her later, honey. Right now I need you to meet me at the transport."

"You there already?"

"No. I'm at the Galaxy Warp Annex, but I'll be there soon."

"Ok, baby, I'll be there. I'll get someone to cover the rest of my shift. Love you."

"Love you, too. Tell Carnelian to prepare to die."

"Yes Ma'am!" Tiger-eye ended the call with a smart salute. Jasper cut communications with a sigh. She had no idea how her sweet partner would handle the news about what happened to her red-violet friend. She turned to Ruby, who was cradling a funerary orb in her arms. "You ready to head back?"

"You ready to head back?"

"Yes."

"Alright then. Let's go."

Not long after Ruby and Jasper arrived at the eastbound transport platform Tiger-eye came tearing through the crowd and literally ran into Jasper's arms. The couple's joyful reunion was brief. The whole mood changed when Tiger-eye noticed Ruby sitting nearby holding something in her lap. Jasper grew quiet as she watched her partner kneel before the little red Gem. Jasper braced herself for Tiger-eye's reaction, ready to comfort her love, as the realization of reality crossed the blacksmith's face.

"Ruby…is this…Spinel?" Ruby gave a silent nod as she caressed the funerary orb. Tiger-eye took a moment to process this information. She didn't even try to hold back her tears for her fallen friend. "Ruby, would you like for us to do a call to honor for her?"

Both Ruby and Jasper were taken aback by Tiger-eye's suggestion. A call to honor for a mere lieutenant was unheard of. The last call to honor Jasper remembered being a part of was for Captain Red Beryl. Once Jasper gave it some thought the request did have some merit. Spinel had been Red Beryl's partner, and although she had been semi-retired Spinel always gave her all in everything she did. Her excellent service was at the least the level of a captain. Spinel may not have been an Elite Gem, but she carried herself like one and was respected in the Dirty East. Jasper decided to carry out a call to honor for her fallen comrade.

"Attention! This is a call to honor for Lieutenant Spinel, Intelligence Unit RI-13. Salute!"

It wasn't long before the entire Dirty East, from the transport station all the way to Bloodstone's headquarters, was participating in the call to honor for Lieutenant Spinel. It was a sight to behold. So many Gems living down there, especially those residing in Tower 8, relied on Spinel to help them adjust to life in the Dirty East. She could be crass, funny, and would kick ass to keep certain Gems in line. Spinel was far from perfect, but she was genuine and respected.

After Ruby entered Commander Bloodstone's headquarters to inform her of Spinel's fate, Jasper and Tiger-eye headed to Tower 7. Jasper could clearly see the distress on her partner's face. The soldier draped her arm around her lover's shoulder and gently kissed her on the temple. Tiger-eye's response was to break down crying. Jasper hugged her close as they entered Jasper's personal quarters. If Tiger-eye was this upset by the death of her friend, Jasper couldn't imagine what it would be like if she herself was the one whose remains were in that funerary orb. Jasper cradled her weeping lover in her arms. Neither one of them spoke. Nothing really needed to be said. Tiger-eye was dealing with the pain of loss, and Jasper's comforting arms helped her cope.

Three days later Ruby had a final send off for Spinel above ground in the lava fields. Of course it was no surprise to anyone who knew Spinel that the send-off would involve smoking. Jasper paid close attention to her partner during the simple ceremony. She was very protective of her love and every smile, laugh, and sad expression held great importance to her. At one point several Gems shared memories of Spinel that stood out to them. Ametrine, who was one of Spinel's former play friends, shared her thoughts about Spinel in a manner that was very respectful towards Spinel's surviving partner, Ruby.

"Spinel was the type of Gem that would call you out on your bullshit, but at the same time she would have your back. She could be rough around the edges, and say some off the wall stuff, but I couldn't have asked for a better friend…"

Jasper was surprised that she was asked to say something as well. Though she and Spinel were never very close, she was a former comrade in arms that she did respect.

"When I served with Spinel, at the time she was referred to as the Beast of the Battlefield for good reason. She was fierce, strong, and intelligent. It was an honor to fight alongside her."

Jasper didn't have much to say, but one could tell by looking at Ruby that it did have an impact. The little red Gem was proud of her deceased partner. Tiger-eye's contribution served to lighten the somber mood though.

"Wow. What can I say about Spinel. Well, she was crazy in a good way. She inspired me to get in touch with my special type of crazy." The now laughing crowd couldn't disagree with that. "She also helped me come outta my shell. Believe it or not I use to be so shy. Whenever I would ask for advice she would tell it in such a funny, down to earth way that put me at ease. If it wasn't for her I don't think I would have worked up the courage to be honest about how I felt about someone very special to me."

Tiger-eye clasped her partner's hand for emphasis. Although Jasper was a bit embarrassed by it, she did appreciate the sentiment, and squeezed her partner's hand in response. Spinel's send-off came to an end with one final call to honor lead by Commander Bloodstone. As all present went their separate ways Jasper held her mourning partner close as she made an inward promise to do her best protect her love from ever experiencing this type of heartbreak.

Next Chapter: Backstabber


	16. Chapter 16: Backstabber

Chapter 16: Backstabber

Gems had a rich history of branching out from Homeworld to explore and colonize other planets. They often witnessed all kinds of bizarre phenomenon on numerous alien worlds. In spite of this, nothing seemed to be able to top the strange things going on in the Dirty East. A little over a year after Lt. Spinel's shattering an unfamiliar Gem seemed to show up out of nowhere. Since the Dirty East was a relatively small community compared to those on the surface, just about every Gem was curious about the mysterious stranger who seemed to have access to Ruby's quarters.

The unfamiliar Gem didn't make her reappearance again until after Sapphire moved in with Ruby. With each sporadic appearance of that mysterious Gem, some of the long-time residents began to suspect something was amiss. That unknown Gem was never seen in any training sessions, she never worked in the weapons plant or at the transport station, and she was never seen competing in the Battle Arena or in any Dance Battles. She just showed up out of the blue every now and then. Certain Dirty East denizens had their suspicions about the quiet, elusive mystery Gem. Jasper was one of them. After a few encounters with the stranger Carnelian had to agree.

"Let me ask you this, Carnelian. Have you ever seen her gem?"

"Come to think of it, I haven't. And believe me, I tried!"

"I'm sure you did, you perverted bitch…"

"Hey! Cool it with the insults! We're trying to investigate here!"

"Yeah, yeah. Did you even find out her name?"

"No. No one seems to know her name or where she even came from, Jas."

"I have yet to speak to her face to face. I think she's avoiding me for some reason."

"She's pretty much avoiding everyone…except for Ruby and Sapphire. The few times she's been seen, she's always going into their place….holy shit! Jas, are you thinking what I'm thinking?"

"Carnie, I think we may have a fusion on our hands. Speaking of which, if you cross paths with her again, check her hands for gems. If you see more than one you know what we're dealing with."

A few months later when the mystery Gem made another appearance, Carnelian was ready for her. She confronted the elusive Gem with a crowd of locals.

"Hey, you! Let me talk to you for a second," the red-orange Gem beckoned.

"I'd rather not. Now if you'll excuse me…" The strange Gem attempted to bypass the group of Gems, but Carnelian managed to get a hold of her arms. Carnelian quickly twisted her wrists exposing the single gem embedded in the palm of each of her hands.

"Two gems? I knew there was something off about you. You're a fuckin' fusion!" By now the small crowd had grown in number as Carnelian held the fusion's hands up for all to see. The annoyed fusion yanked herself out of Carnelian's grip with an angry grunt.

"Get off of me! So what if I'm a fusion? What's it to you?"

Carnelian scoffed and approached the fusion as she took a defensive stance.

"You have a lot of nerve parading around here like you're normal. Now you either unfuse or get your ass outta here. You don't belong here!"

"I don't belong? That's rich. The Dirty East is full to the brim with rejects! Just ask around. Shit, you're most likely one of them!" The fusion's statements didn't help her situation at all. The locals didn't take kindly to being spoken to like that by a lowly fusion.

"Hmph. I may be a reject from the West, but at least I'm not a piece of shit fusion like you!"

Jasper watched events unfold. She smirked as she cracked her knuckles, ready to join in on the expulsion of the fusion. Jasper surged forward with the crowd until a single voice stopped her in her tracks. Her partner was calling out to her for help. She scanned the crowd for Tiger-eye until she spotted her on the ground getting trampled. Jasper bulldozed her way through the advancing mob, pushing other Gems to and fro to keep them off of her beloved Tiger-eye, who was clearly in great distress.

"Ty, are you all right?" Jasper asked as she lifted her lover into her arms.

"I am now! Those fuckers almost trampled me to death! What the hell is goin' on?"

"Remember that Gem nobody recognized?"

"Yeah. What about her?"

"Turns out she's a fusion."

"What? A fusion of who?"

"I have my suspicions, but I'm not worried about that now. I want to treat your wounds."

"Jasper, I'm not hurt that bad…"

"Shut up and let me take care of you!"

"Oh, ok, baby." Tiger-eye grew quiet as she relaxed in her partner's arms as she wondered what kind of crazy shit would happen next in the Dirty East. It was impossible to guess. After all that upheaval and chaos in the Dirty East, the fusion called Garnet was never seen again in the underground complex, although she did leave quite an impression. It was mostly a negative impression, but an impression nonetheless.

One day Tiger-eye was working hard at her station at the weapons plant when she got a visit from Captain Bloodstone. The Elite Gem summoned her to headquarters, which concerned her a bit, until she noticed that the Captain was smiling. That was definitely a good sign.

"Have a seat, Tiger-eye." The blacksmith did so as she tried to keep her fluttering emotions in check. "Ensign Tiger-eye, you have been a successful blacksmith and metallurgist for many centuries. There is no one in the Dirty East to rival your level of skill and creativity. That being said, I have been made aware of a very special request. After you made a custom sword for White Diamond, word got out quickly among the Diamond Authority. Now I have a proposal to you from the soon to be coroneted Pink Diamond."

Bloodstone touched the center of her desk where a holographic image was projected. The more Tiger-eye looked over the holographic image of the custom sword, the more she smiled. She had never made a pink sword before, and the design looked very unique compared to other swords she had forged. This one was going to be a challenge, and Tiger-eye was never one to pass up a challenge when it came to forging custom weapons.

"So, are you going to accept this commission?"

"You're damn right, I am! Special commissions like this are what I live for!"

"Fantastic! Can you have it ready by the coronation ceremony in the Sky Arena?"

"Yes Ma'am! I'll get started on it right away."

Bloodstone handed Tiger-eye the specs and the excited blacksmith headed straight for her station at the weapon's plant to forge the customized sword. Over a month's time Tiger-eye focused on every little detail of the custom sword. She not only took her client's height into consideration, she also kept in mind that her client was left handed, among other details. She even took the time to design a scabbard with a matching, stylized rose motif. She was quite pleased with the end result, and hoped the client would be pleased as well.

Once the sword and scabbard was completed, the soon to be crowned Pink Diamond was informed. It was decided that Tiger-eye was to be sent to Earth with a pair of escorts to accompany her to the Sky Arena to present the sword to the highly respected Gem. The blacksmith was thrilled that one of those escorts would be her partner, Lt. Commander Jasper. On the day of their departure for Earth, the excited pair made their preparations. They had spent the past several nights together in Jasper's quarters celebrating Tiger-eye's good fortune. Jasper donned an updated uniform with a decorated collar that indicated her rank of Lt. Commander, while Tiger-eye wore plain vestments similar to what she wore while living in The Cloisters. She was covered from head to toe so that the only part of her that was visible was her eyes. She gathered up the sword and scabbard, which was already wrapped in an ornate, ceremonial cloth. Although the partners were both excited and honored to be a minor part of a coronation ceremony, they both were in a very serious mood.

"All right, Jasper, I'm ready to go. How about you?"

"I'll be ready after I do one thing."

"What's that, love?"

Jasper pulled her lover's veil aside to kiss her.

"I'm so proud of you, Ty. I know I don't say it often, but I couldn't find a better partner than you if I tried."

"Jasper…thank you. I'm proud of you too. You're just one rank away from becoming a Commander. When that happens you know what that means?"

"Yes. We won't have to hide the fact that we're together anymore. And everything you've ever wanted will be yours."

"All I've ever wanted was to be with you, Jasper." Jasper shook her head as she brushed her fingers against her partner's soft cheek.

"Why do you have to be so damned sweet that I can hardly take it?"

Tiger-eye was so flustered that she was rendered speechless by Jasper's expression of affection. Jasper chuckled at her partner's adorable present state and kissed her once again before putting her veil back in place.

"Now I'm ready to go."

After boarding the westbound transport the happy couple quietly discussed their plans for their future together once Jasper was promoted to Commander. Their discussion was put on hold once they met up with Watermelon Tourmaline. The cloaked and veiled Tiger-eye remained silent as she mounted the warp pad to Earth flanked by her two security escorts. She tried to calm her nerves as she mentally prepared herself to present the custom sword to Pink Diamond. Since the coronation was to be broadcast all over Homeworld, the couple knew to conduct themselves in a dignified manner. As she escorted her beloved into the sky arena, Jasper watched her partner closely. She had a feeling that Tiger-eye was nervous, but the blacksmith was doing such a great job hiding it that made the soldier even more proud. The entire audience stood in respectful silence as the cloaked Tiger-eye knelt before Pink Diamond, carefully unwrapped the sword and scabbard, and bowed her head as she presented the custom blade to its rightful owner. Pink Diamond smiled as she put the sheathed sword on her right hip. Tiger-eye kowtowed as she walked backwards towards where her two escorts were waiting as the audience of lower ranking Elites saluted the Pink Diamond. Tiger-eye's wide grin was hidden behind her veil. She was quite honored to play a small role in the coronation, but more than that, she was glad she didn't fall on her ass while walking backwards. That's how nervous she was.

At the same time Jasper was extremely proud of her partner. It didn't show on her face for it was neither the time nor the place to freely express her feelings, but she was definitely cheering for Tiger-eye on the inside. Tiger-eye snapped to attention when she felt a large hand press on her shoulder. She looked over at Jasper expectantly.

"You did well."

"I agree," Watermelon Tourmaline added with a smile.

"Thank you."

All of Homeworld realized that the coronation of Pink Diamond would usher in a new era for Gem-kind, but no one, not even Pink Diamond herself could have predicted the implications for the future.

Now that the Diamond Authority had four active members, the Homeworld quadrants were divided four ways. Yellow Diamond controlled the West, White Diamond the North, Blue Diamond the East, and Pink Diamond the South. The Central Research Hub served as a common territory shared by all four Diamonds. These changes in the distribution of power also brought great change in the lives of many lower ranking Gems. Most of the Gems that came from the Western Complex on limited capacity to the East were called back. Most, but not all. One of those who did get called to the South was Jasper, and she was not happy about it. She knew there was nothing she could do about it because Pink Diamond's orders were absolute. Of course, Jasper's partner took things even harder, because she wouldn't be able to go back with Jasper.

Jasper made sure to spend her last full day in the Dirty East with her partner. The pair didn't spend one second apart, and spent most of that precious time locked in each other embrace. Neither of them even bothered keeping count of how many times they made love. During one of their quiet moments Jasper took the time to comfort her heartbroken lover.

"Honey, I know it's really hard to accept this, but I promise you this will only be temporary. I'll be promoted to Commander soon, and the very second after that happens I'm coming back for you. So be ready to say goodbye to the Dirty East and come live with me."

"But Jaspy, how do you know your promotion's coming soon?"

"The last time I spoke with Citrine she told me an estate is being prepared for me out West."

"An entire estate is being built just for you?"

"Well, not just for me, love. Tell me, is there anything you'd like included in the design?"

"Ummm…it would be nice to have a place to do metallurgy."

"All right. Anything else?"

"Uh…how about an open space to dance and sing with a see through ceiling so we can stargaze?"

"You shall have it. What else?"

"Jasper…I don't want to be greedy. I mean, it's going to be your estate, after all."

Jasper smirked as she traced a thumb over her lover's full lips.

"Ty, you're not being greedy. More than anything I want to see you happy. All the time we've been together I was always thinking about doing everything in my power to ensure your happiness. I know it's hard on you when I go away on missions. I believe you've shed more than enough tears to deserve everything you've ever wanted and more."

"Jasper…I don't even know how to respond to that, baby…"

"You don't have to say a thing, love. Just keep being the faithful, loyal, beautiful Gem you are."

Now that all loving words were put aside, it was time for loving actions. Jasper took her time kissing every part of her partner's exposed body construct from top to bottom, then bottom to top. The soldier poured herself into her lover over and over again as the blacksmith received all she had to give with much joy.

The following day the couple headed to the transport station together. Tiger-eye did her best to put on a happy face for Jasper. She struggled with thoughts of running away with her partner at the last second so they wouldn't have to be separated once again. The logical part of her mind knew that would cause both of them nothing but trouble.

Once they arrived at the platform for the westbound transport the pair spotted Carnelian and Andesine sitting on one of the benches nearby. Their body language indicated that they were having a serious and intimate conversation. As Jasper and Tiger-eye got closer they overheard part of their discussion.

"Are you sure that's how you really feel, Carnie?"

"Yeah, I'm very sure." Andesine had a thoughtful pause as Carnelian placed a hand on the freckle faced soldier's thigh.

"How do I know I can trust you not to drop me for another Gem that comes along?"

"Listen, I haven't messed with anyone else since we became play friends, and that was almost one hundred years ago."

"Well, I suppose that counts for something…." Andesine paused when she spotted Jasper and Tiger-eye standing nearby. "Looks like we got a couple of ear hustlers, Carnie. Maybe we should talk about this privately."

"But…I wanted to know your decision before I leave."

"I need some time to think about, okay? Just be sure to contact me as soon as you're settled out West so I can let you know what my decision is."

"So you're gonna leave me hanging, Andie?"

"Ugh! Quit your whining and kiss me!"

Jasper smirked at how well her former fling and former rival were getting along better. Yet she still felt Carnelian was due for an ass whooping for harassing her partner numerous times. The soldier's attention went back to her partner when she felt her beloved kiss her chin. When Jasper looked down at Tiger-eye, she noticed her smile.

"I was going to ask you if you're going to be ok, but it looks like you'll be just fine."

"Well, you said it'll only be a temporary separation, so I can wait. What's two years compared to fifty?"

Jasper couldn't help but grin and her partner's emotional strength. She knew she had nothing to worry about. The couple shared a parting hug and kiss as the westbound transport pulled up.

"See you soon, Jasper. I love you and I'm proud of you."

"I love you too, Ty. I'll definitely be back for you."

After Jasper and Carnelian left on the transport, Tiger-eye and Andesine headed back to the residential area. As they walked in silence Tiger-eye peeked over at Andesine, who looked a bit sad.

"Hey, Andesine, you ok?"

The soldier pondered a moment before answering.

"I don't think so…"

"What's wrong?"

"You promise to keep this between me and you?"

"Of course."

"Well…I don't know if you know this or not, but Carnelian and I have been off and on for almost a century."

"Wow, that's a long time to be play friends."

"Yeah, Carnie thought so too. That's why she asked for us to become partners."

"What did you decide?"

"Nothing yet. I told Carnie I needed time to think about it."

"Oh, that's cool. That's how Jasper and I started out, so you should be ok."

Andesine stopped in her tracks as her face fell. Tiger-eye could immediately tell something was wrong. She stopped as well and quietly waited for Andesine to continue.

"I should have told her…" Andesine stated, her voice barely above a whisper.

"Told her what?"

"How I really feel. I wanted to but I'm scared that if I do tell her... the same thing that happened with me and Jas will happen with me and Carnie…"

When Tiger-eye noticed wet droplets splashing her former rival's toes, she knew that shit had just gotten real. She had never seen Andesine display such a level of emotion. The blacksmith placed a comforting hand on the distressed Gem's shoulder.

"Andesine, I think you should tell her how you feel. There's no point in basing your decision on something that may or may not happen. Just be honest with her and with yourself."

Andesine lifted her head to give Tiger-eye a halfhearted smile through her tears.

"You know what? You're right. I shouldn't sabotage things before even giving them a chance to start. I'll tell her once she contacts me. Thanks for listening, Tiger-eye. You're not as annoying as I'd thought."

"Uh, thanks…I guess. Good luck with your partnership."

Tiger-eye was actually happy for Andesine and Carnelian, mostly because it would mean Carnie would stop hitting on her. At least she hoped so.

Two years passed before Jasper and Tiger-eye saw each other face to face. Jasper would contact her partner just about every day when she wasn't away on missions. Two years to the day of Jasper's departure Tiger-eye was feeling a bit anxious because it had been three days since she had heard from her partner. Her work shift was done so she decided not to panic, but relax on her large cushion in the back of her quarters. To take her mind off of her anxiety she lay on her cushion and began to sing to herself.

 _If the suns should go away from here_

 _It don't matter, cause with you I shine_

 _And if the clouds keep you from coming near_

 _It don't matter, you're already mine_

 _And that's all that matters, that matters, that matters_

 _It wouldn't matter, cause baby you're mine_

 _And that's all that matters, that matters, that matters_

 _No one can take away what's yours and mine_

 _And now we sit and wonder where life went_

 _From all the moments I missed…._

The blacksmith's song was cut short when she felt something soft and warm against her cheek. The startled Gem turned over to come face to face with someone quite familiar.

"Jasper!"

"Hey, beautiful. Did you miss me?"

"Yes, yes, yes!" Tiger-eye found herself laughing and crying all at once as she hugged her partner close. After sharing their first kiss after two years of separation, Jasper stood upright and helped her partner to her feet. After getting over her initial excitement Tiger-eye noticed something different about her lover. "Jaspy…you're wearing a cape…"

"Of course I am. That's what Commanders do." As Tiger-eye digested her lover's statement, Jasper gave her partner a deep, passionate kiss. "Ty, pack up whatever you want to take with you. You're leaving with me today."

"Today? Does Captain Bloodstone know?"

"Yes. I have been making arrangements for months ahead of time. From this day forward you're officially my Tiger-eye. Now, gather up whatever you want. I'm taking you to our new home."

Tiger-eye's excitement was immeasurable as she said goodbye to life in the Dirty East. Although she had made a lot of wonderful memories here, she was thrilled to be moving in with the love of her life. Tiger-eye took some time to bid her friends farewell. She also thanked Captain Bloodstone for supporting Jasper and Tiger-eye's relationship and keeping it secret from other Elites. After all was said and done, Jasper and her partner left the Dirty East behind to begin their happy life together.

Commander Jasper had many surprises awaiting her precious partner. When the pair arrived on the local warp pad in the Southern Military Complex they were greeted by a light orange Cassis Pearl dressed in a tan and yellow streamlined jumper accented with a ruffled, peach colored peplum around her waist.

"Good day, Commander Jasper. Welcome back. Your personal transport awaits you and you guest."

Cassis Pearl led the couple to a large personal transport vehicle that was golden brown in color with a pink diamond symbol on the door. Jasper could tell by the look on Tiger-eye's face that she wasn't expecting to see that the soldier not only had her own Pearl, but also had a personal transport. Being a Commander certainly had its perks. As the Pearl piloted the transport to Jasper's estate Tiger-eye gazed out of a nearby window at the buildings below. She audibly gasped at the sight of the Tiger House from the air. It was a beautiful edifice, but she still had no intention of setting foot in that place ever again. She even got an aerial view of the Cloisters before Cassis Pearl began their decent. Jasper scooted over to the port side of the craft to point something out to her partner.

"You see that group of buildings down there?"

"Yes. Is one of those buildings your place?"

"Honey…the estate includes every one of those buildings and the surrounding land."

"Are you serious?"

"Absolutely."

"Holy shit, Jasper! That place is huge!"

"I know. Isn't it great?"

Cassis Pearl landed the craft within the thick walls surrounding the estate. After all three Gems got out of the personal transport the landing pad descended into the hangar bay below. Jasper then ordered her Pearl to go prepare a bath for her and her partner while she gave Tiger-eye a tour of the estate. Jasper made sure to show her lover that the estate included everything Tiger-eye had asked for and more, complete with modern fixtures. By the time the blacksmith saw her personal metal working station she was in awe of the level of effort her partner put in to make sure she had everything she had requested.

"Oh my goodness, Jaspy! I even have my own smelting station? This is incredible! Thank you so much!" The overjoyed Tiger-eye hugged her partner tight. "Baby, I have a question though? Where are my quarters?"

"Honey what are you talking about?"

"Umm…I kind of thought maybe you'd have a small corner of the estate set aside for me…" Jasper chuckled as she held her lover close.

"Ty, you're thinking like an average Tiger-eye. I refuse to keep you sheltered in a corner. Everything that I've shown you, and all that I have yet to show you, is yours."

"Huh? Really?"

"Yes. Everything that belongs to me also belongs to you. Even my Pearl. You have free reign of the entire estate."

"So if I feel like walking around the estate bare ass naked that wouldn't be a problem?"

"You could do it right now if you want, love. But I promise that you won't be walking for long."

"What you mean, Jaspy?"

The amorous soldier pulled her love into her arms and began to caress her.

"I mean I'll lay your sexy ass down and fuck you til you can't walk straight for days."

"Damn, Jasper! You don't mess around!"

"Straight and to the point. Now…take it all off."

Tiger-eye pulled out of her partner's embrace then glanced over her shoulder with a mischievous gleam in her eyes.

"You're gonna have to make me, and in order to do that…you have to catch me!"

Jasper grinned at her partner's playfulness as she gave chase. It had been a long time coming for the happy pair to be so carefree. Cassis Pearl was on her way to inform Jasper that the bath was ready when a brown and cream colored streak nearly bowled her over. The startled and confused Pearl stood still for a moment wondering if she had just seen a nude Gem just run past her. Before she could figure it out her owner came around the corner with an expression of a predator seeking its prey and a grin on her face.

"Hey, did you see Tiger-eye come through here?"

Cassis Pearl mulled that question over because she wasn't sure what was going on. After a few seconds of thinking it over, the puzzled Pearl pointed to her right, and Jasper immediately ran off in that direction. Moments later the Pearl shuddered at the sound of a scream followed by playful laughter, which was followed by the sound of skin slapping skin. Although she was a bit curious about what was happening, Cassis Pearl decided to mind her own business and go clean another section of the estate.

Meanwhile, the playful couple had made it to their rejuvenation chamber to continue their intimate play. They didn't hold anything back. There would be no more sneaking around outside of the DE, no more avoiding being seen together in public, and no more secrets. The couple spent most of the day making love. Then they bathed together and made love some more. They finally had their paradise that they had desired for many centuries. The partners assumed that this paradise would last forever. Unfortunately, that was a mistake on both their parts.

There came a time when Homeworld was all in an uproar about something strange and quite unexpected happening in the Gem colony on Earth. Someone had declared war. The odd thing about this war was that it wasn't declared against the original inhabitants of the Earth, but against Homeworld. In all of Gem history this had never happened before. What made things even more bizarre was who had declared war. A rouge Rose Quartz was openly and unapologetically declaring war against Homeworld.

The combined experience of the many Commanders under Yellow, Blue, and White Diamond was in high demand. When the troops were deployed to Earth Jasper was quite aware that she would be involved in the conflict. She would have lieutenants under her training the rank and file, fighting, and gathering intelligence on the enemy. When the time for the deployment of her platoon arrived she bid farewell to her beloved partner. Jasper could see that Tiger-eye was putting up a strong front, but that façade couldn't hide the fear in her lover's eyes.

"Ty, listen to me. Once I get to Earth I'm going to do everything in my power to crush this rebellion. Those traitors are going to pay for causing all of this chaos. While I'm gone I want you to stay on the estate. If you need anything from outside order my Pearl to get it for you. Can I count on you to do all that?"

"Yes, Jasper. You can count on me. I won't do anything to make you worry."

"That's my Ty. Well, I'm off to war. I'll be back for you, my love."

"And I'll be waiting."

The partners gave each other a passionate kiss goodbye then Jasper left for the Galaxy Warp Annex. As the conflict on Earth wore on days became months, months became years, years became decades, and decades became centuries. Jasper would contact her beloved whenever possible. She didn't give her partner details about the conflict out of concern about a possible spy among the Homeworld troops. She did let her partner know that she was all right and missed her very much. All was quiet on the home front until one fateful day. The sensor at the main gate of the estate was going off. Cassis Pearl did her duty and went to greet the visitor.

Tiger-eye was in her workshop experimenting with some new materials when she heard a knock on her door.

"Miss Tiger-eye, you have a visitor." The blacksmith hesitated at the sound of Cassis Pearl's voice. She sounded nervous, which Tiger-eye found odd.

"Who is it?"

"It's me, you treacherous brat." Tiger-eye was gripped with shock and fear at the sound of that familiar voice that still haunted her even after not hearing it for centuries.

"What do you want…Master Jet?"

"First of all, I want you to open the door."

"No."

Tiger-eye had barely gotten her refusal out of her mouth when the door in question was demolished and reduced to rubble by the Guild Master's powerful fist. As Master Jet approached her, Tiger-eye spotted Cassis Pearl cowering in the hall behind the menacing Gem.

"What the hell do you want with me?" Tiger-eye shouted as she brandished her weapon.

"I want you to deliver a message…to Commander Jasper in person."

"The hell I will!"

"Oh you definitely will, unless you want your unauthorized partner to suffer for your misdeeds."

"What?"

"You're coming with me to Earth for a very important mission. If you refuse your precious Commander Jasper will pay the price. If you succeed in this mission you will not only put an end to the Rebellion, but you'll also get a chance to redeem yourself as a hero on Homeworld. If you fail…well, all I can say is you'd better not fail! Now come with me!"

Tiger-eye resisted at first but then gave it some thought. This would be a chance for her to see Jasper, and maybe even support her on the battlefield. She was a trained assassin who had something to contribute. On the other hand she had promised Jasper that she wouldn't leave the estate. She had never broken a promise to her love in all the time they had been together. Jet saw the reddish brown Gem's hesitation and took immediate action.

"Look, you brat. You and I both know that Commander Jasper didn't go through the proper channels to acquire you. If this information gets back to Yellow Diamond the consequences would be severe. If you come with me and accept the mission this will all be swept under the rug."

Tiger-eye wanted so badly to slap the smirk off of Master Jet's face, but she held her peace and conceded defeat.

Meanwhile Jasper was in a hidden underground encampment full of Homeworld Gem soldiers discussing battle strategy with her lieutenants. A nervous looking Scout quietly interrupted the meeting to give a message to Jasper.

"Please forgive my interruption, Commander, but you have a visitor in your office. An _Elite_ visitor."

Assuming the Elite Gem paying her a visit was Yellow Diamond herself, Jasper ordered her lieutenants to carry on with the strategy meeting and fill her in later. Jasper entered her office expecting to see her superior but got the surprise of her life. Before her stood Tiger-eye dressed in her assassin's gear and behind her stood a Gem she had not planned on ever seeing again.

"Master Jet. What brings you here?"

"What? No greeting for your Tiger-eye? Or should I say _my_ Tiger-eye?"

"What are you talking about?"

"Surely you must know that this Red Tiger-eye belongs to me! I made a very generous offer to the Tiger House for her and she even bears my mark!" The Guild Master exposed the trained assassin's right breast for emphasis. "How much did she cost you? Oh that's right…nothing! You never properly acquired her from her current owner, which would be me. And since you thought nothing of breaking the rules, I'm sure that you've defiled her as well. Now, I have use for this Tiger-eye that can turn this Rebellion on its head. After she serves her purpose then you and I can have a private negotiation so you can properly acquire her from me. Now, Tiger-eye, tell Commander Jasper what your mission is."

"My mission is to infiltrate the enemy base and assassinate Rose Quartz," Tiger-eye responded in a cold, detached manner.

"What? Do you know how dangerous that will be?" Jasper shouted. She couldn't bear the thought of her lover putting herself in such great jeopardy. Master Jet shook her head and smirked.

"My Tiger-eye will do what I tell her to whether you like it or not."

Jasper took hold of Tiger-eye's hand to plead with her to abandon the mission, but Tiger-eye pulled away from her.

"Commander, I mean no disrespect, but I can't allow you to touch me. I belong to Master Jet."

Jasper did everything she could to remain composed as feelings of rage and despair welled up within her. For a brief moment she felt an impulse to lash out at Tiger-eye until she saw the tears streaming down her face.

' _I've got to get ahold of myself. Jet must be forcing her to say these things. It's tearing Ty up inside to have to say such things to me. It's killing me too.'_

Jasper stood up straight in a commanding pose and looked her lover straight in the eyes. Her stance was imposing but her lover could see tenderness in Jasper's eyes.

"Ty, I know it's hurting you to say these things to me. I don't hold it against you. I just want you to know that I believe in you…and I love you. Nothing and no one can stop me from loving you."

"All right that's enough! Let's go, Tiger-eye!" Master Jet grabbed the assassin by the arm, but Tiger-eye wrenched out of her grip to run into her lover's arms and kiss her. Jasper saw Jet approach, so she pulled her partner behind her and faced the angry Guild Master.

"Come any closer and I swear I'll tear you apart with my bare hands. You don't have your Black Pearl around to fuse with this time."

Jet stopped in her tracks to consider her vulnerable situation then decided to halt her attack. Jasper pulled Tiger-eye into her loving embrace to give her a parting message.

"I trust you to find out where the rebels are hiding and take out Rose Quartz and get to safety. Contact me as soon as the deed is done and I'll send reinforcements right away."

"Hey! What gives you the right to give my Tiger-eye orders?" the scowling Jet barked.

"I'm in command of this outpost, so I give the orders around here!"

Jet grew quiet since she lacked a counter argument.

"Ty, I know you can do this. Now go. You have my support."

Tiger-eye gave Jasper one last kiss before heading out on her very dangerous mission. Jasper assigned two Scouts to trail Tiger-eye then report back with the location of the rebel base.

It was the dead of night on the Strawberry Battlefield and all seemed quiet. A lone figure flitted throughout the aftermath of the carnage like a shadow. A pair of Homeworld Scouts watched the figure carefully until they saw a small flash of light and the shadow disappeared. They had now idea that in the eerie quiet sudden death approached. In a split second the Scout on the right was frozen then her body construct was shattered, and her gem was immediately bubbled and sent to an unknown location. The Scout on the left didn't even get a chance to react when at about the same time her body construct went up in flames. Her gem was dispatched as well. The two tiny figures came together to become one tall figure, who continued to scour the battlefield to flush out enemies. Soon the figure came across a body covered in injuries lying near a pile of armor and shattered Gem remains. The fusion summoned her gauntlets, ready to put the injured being out of its misery when she got a good look at the gem in the small of its back. She recognized the reddish brown striped Gem but turned the body over just to make sure it was who she thought it was. She then put away her gauntlets and wrapped some cloth around the injured Gem's head and carried her off.

Once the blindfold was removed from her head the first thing Tiger-eye saw was a concerned visage with black eyes crowned with a mountain of pink curls. She realized that she was lying down on a hard surface surrounded by a sea of faces, some of which she recognized right away. The stoic Garnet was standing to the right of Rose Quartz and a Pearl was to her left. She also spotted Jade and Milky Quartz standing off to Rose's left holding hands. Milky was looking a bit worried and to Tiger-eye's surprise Jade looked a bit upset as well. When Tiger-eye attempted to sit up Rose Quartz gently laid her back down and spoke to her with a gentle tone.

"Hello, Tiger-eye. I'm Rose Quartz."

"I know who you are," the blacksmith answered shyly. "Everyone knows who you are. But how do you know who I am?"

"Garnet informed me. Jade and Milky Quartz seem to know of you too."

"Where am I and how did I get here?"

"Garnet found you badly wounded on the battlefield. As for where you are, I can't disclose that to you for security reasons. My question for you is what is a Tiger-eye doing on a battlefield?"

Tiger-eye's countenance fell as tears welled up in her eyes.

"My Master was abusing me so I ran away. I didn't intend to end up on a battlefield…" Tiger-eye paused to look over her body construct bewildered by what she saw. "My wounds are gone…"

"That's because I healed them. How do you feel?"

"I feel a lot better. Thank you for healing me."

"You're very welcome. I'm glad you're all right. Unfortunately, because we're in the middle of a war I can't leave you unguarded. Garnet, keep watch over Tiger-eye until I send someone to relieve you."

"Yes, Milady."

The fusion escorted Tiger-eye to a holding cell. After the blacksmith was secured Garnet spoke to Tiger-eye directly.

"Why did you lie about running away from your Master?"

"I didn't. I really did run away from my Master, who was abusing me. That's where my wounds came from."

"In all the time I've known you, you have never mentioned having a Master. You did have a partner, and that was Jasper. She was never abusive towards you. In fact I'm sure that she loves you."

"Garnet, you know a lot of Gems in the Dirty East have a lot of stuff hidden in their past. I have a Master who has been using me for her own purposes since she acquired me from the Tiger House. For a long time I hid my relationship with Jasper from her. Somehow she found out about us, found out where I was, and took me back." Tiger-eye paused as she broke down in tears. "My Master forbade from seeing Jasper ever again. I couldn't stand the thought of that so I ran away to Earth to try to find my partner. I ended up caught up on a battlefield, which I definitely hadn't planned at all. It's a miracle that I wasn't killed. I never found Jasper though."

Garnet quietly shook her head at the sight of the emotionally devastated Gem before her.

"Listen, Tiger-eye. I can't help you find your partner, and I doubt Rose Quartz will allow you to wander about searching for her. We're in the middle of a war so we can't afford to let our guard down."

"I understand." The fusion and the blacksmith both grew quiet. After a few hours of uncomfortable silence Rose Quartz came accompanied by Jade and Milky Quartz. She relieved Garnet of her post to allow Tiger-eye's long-time friends to speak to her.

"Tiger, how are you doing?" Milky Quartz asked, concern apparent in her voice.

"Ok, I guess." Then Jade got right to the heart of the matter.

"What's the real reason you ran away from Master Jet?"

Tiger-eye began shaking as her painful memories came flooding back.

"I…I don't want to be a part of the Guild any more. It's too restrictive! I'm tired of burying my emotions. I want the freedom to love and be loved."

"We understand how you feel. That's why Milky and I joined the Crystal Gems," Jade replied, to Tiger-eye's surprise.

"I noticed that you two seem pretty close…."

"Yes. You're right. It's because we're partners," Milky Quartz explained as she took hold of Jade's hand. "Although Master Jet trained us to deny ourselves emotional attachments, we got to a point where we could no longer suppress our feelings for each other. So…Jade and I left the Guild a while ago."

"What? Why didn't you ever tell me?"

"Because we didn't want you caught up in our rebellion," Jade responded. "We figured if you knew you might try to convince us to change our minds. But it seems that our actions brought on Master Jet's wrath against you. I'm so sorry you're going through all this. I feel like it's our fault…" Jade frowned as she wiped tears from her face. Milky Quartz pulled her into her comforting embrace.

"Hey, it's not your fault that Master Jet is an abusive bitch. Besides…I want to leave the Guild too. I'm sick of being used!" The trio's conversation was cut short when the leader of the rebels approached Tiger-eye's cell. She dismissed Jade and Milky Quartz so she could speak to Tiger-eye privately.

"Tiger-eye, I've consulted with one of my best and trusted advisers, and she doesn't see you hindering our cause. I'll release you from this cell, but you can't leave the base. It's too dangerous and a security risk. If you attempt to leave you will be stopped with brute force and detained. We're at war and cannot allow anything to hinder our goal. Do you understand?"

"Yeah. I'm basically at your mercy. If I try anything foolish you'll kill me if you have to."

"Precisely."

"I'll take being here over being used and abused by my Master, so…thank you."

"You're very welcome."

For a time, Tiger-eye was allowed to walk around the rebel base, but she always had an escort. The assassin gathered from what she saw and heard that the Crystal Gems had bases all over the planet and communicated with wailing stones. Tiger-eye knew she had a mission to fulfill, but since the two Scouts trailing her were bubbled it made it impossible for her to contact Jasper. Once the Crystal Gem's victories began to outnumber their losses Tiger-eye knew she had to make her move. Over time security had become lax. The rebels' numbers had dwindled so Rose Quartz and her army became more focused on strategies to win this war that had drug on for centuries. At a time when many of Rose's troops were deployed Tiger-eye made her move. She relied on her stealth to slip into Rose Quartz's war room where she planned her strategies. Tiger-eye didn't detect the presence of the security detail. While Rose was leaned over a table looking over topical maps Tiger-eye moved swiftly and silently towards the former Pink Diamond, both of her war fans in her hands. Once she got close enough to cut down the leader of the Gem Rebellion the assassin prepared to strike. Tiger-eye's attack came to a screeching halt when she felt something puncture her from behind. She looked down to see the tip of a spear protruding from her chest. In that immeasurable moment the would-be assassin stood face to face with her target, who looked just as shocked as she was. A single tear splashed against the tip of the spear as Tiger-eye spoke two words, her voice overflowing with despair.

"I'm sorry…"

Tiger-eye's body construct broke down and dissipated as her Gem toppled to the floor. Pearl jabbed her spear towards the retreated Gem, but a large, pink hand grabbed ahold of the weapon, stopping it less than an inch away from shattering the vulnerable Gem.

"Pearl, put your weapon away," Rose Quartz softly commanded.

"But why?"

"Please…just do as I say."

"She just tried to kill you!"

"Pearl, put it away now," Rose commanded once again, this time more forcefully. Pearl reluctantly obeyed. Rose Quartz knelt down to pick up the injured Gem, bubbled her then sent her to an undisclosed location. "Pearl, gather all of the lieutenants to the war room. It's time to bring this conflict to an end."

"Yes, Milady."

This assassination attempt was a defining moment for the Crystal Gems. Rose Quartz was now more determined than ever to defeat Homeworld once and for all or die trying.

Next Chapter: Things Fall Apart


	17. Chapter 17: Things Fall Apart

**AN: I love all the feedback from you, dear readers, but there's something about the reviews form ReaderOfBooks that gets me all hyped up! I'm so glad you guys are enjoying the story. I got a certain request from several readers regrading a certain Gem, so I will say this. You shall have your request fulfilled and it shall be GLORIOUS!**

Chapter 17: Things Fall Apart

The nature of war, no matter how organized or strategized, tends to lean to organically chaotic. One side could be winning one moment when the tides suddenly change. It appeared to Homeworld that the rebels known as the Crystal Gems were outnumbered, but somehow the rebels had been able to hold their ground on some fronts. The Crystal Gems were using every tactic in their arsenal including making use of all kinds of fusions, modified practical weapons, and phytokinesis. Rose Quartz had even trained and armed humans to fight with her. Homeworld Commanders took on the Crystal Gems on numerous fronts around the globe, which contributed to the rebels' dwindling numbers.

One Commander in particular had hopes that her partner had succeeded in the assassination of the traitor, Rose Quartz. Those hopes were dashed however when word got back from one of her lieutenants that the target of the assassination had been seen on the battlefield.

"Are you sure it was Rose Quartz?"

"Yes, Ma'am. She was carrying a light shield with her symbol right in the center."

Jasper cursed inwardly as she dismissed her lieutenant. The fact that Rose Quartz was seen on the battlefield was extremely troubling. She now had no idea what happened to Tiger-eye. Was she captured? Was she shattered? She had no way of finding out because the two Scouts she had sent out with Tiger-eye had never returned. A furious Jasper prepared herself for battle. She was determined to find Rose Quartz, confront her, and make her tell her what happened to her love even if she had to beat it out of her. Jasper glared at Master Jet, who was looking quite shocked by the news of the failed assassination attempt.

"I don't understand. My Tiger-eye was the best of the best. I can't imagine what could have gone wrong…"

Jasper gave the Guild Master a long, hard glare before addressing her directly.

"You have a lot of nerve acting as if you're concerned about my partner. You and I both know that if you weren't such a coward you would have taken on the mission yourself."

"Stupid. As a guild master it's my job to train assassins and send them out on missions. I tell them where to go, what to do, and who to take out. My days as an assassin have long passed."

"You're still a coward. Fortunately I'm not. I'm going to do whatever I can to find my partner, and grind Rose Quartz into powder when I get the chance."

At last the remaining Crystal Gems and the Homeworld troops converged on what would be the defining battle in this great rebellion. The Strawberry Battlefield was a site of Gem on Gem brutality none had ever witnessed before. Reports of strange happenings such as a Pearl wielding a sword fighting alongside Rose Quartz, an incredibly stable and powerful fusion causing chaos and destruction with surprising precision, and the use of all kinds of modified weaponry were coming back to the remaining Homeworld commanders.

While the troops under her put up a fierce fight, Jasper sought out Rose Quartz as she took down every enemy that was in her way. At one point she came across a huge, green Quartz called Prasiolite wielding a massive trident. During her battle with the gigantic warrior Jasper spotted two gems on Prasiolite's body construct. There was no doubt that she was dealing with a fusion. She quickly summoned her crash helmet. Using her Comet Charge ability, Jasper honed in on the quartz gem on the fusion's upper body and slammed directly into it. The damage she caused was enough to break up the fusion into its two component Gems; a milky-white quartz Gem, and a smaller, mossy green one.

Jasper grabbed the closest rebel by the throat, which was Milky Quartz, and slammed her against a nearby tree. The smaller Gem stood a few feet away wielding a katana with a fierce expression.

"Let her go!" the smaller Gem shouted as she carefully approached the enemy combatant holding her partner hostage.

"Jade, stay back!" Upon hearing Milky Quartz call out her partner's name, Jasper recalled what Tiger-eye had told her.

"You're the same Jade from Tiger-eye's guild, aren't you?"

The silent Jade took a fighting stance ready to strike with her glistening blade.

"Listen, my partner told me all about you and your guild. If you know what happened to Tiger-eye you'd better tell me now…for the sake of your fusion friend here."

Jasper emphasized the threat by squeezing Milky Quartz's throat. A brief moment of panic flashed across Jade's face before she advanced a few steps. She stopped in her tracks as Jasper squeezed her partner's throat even harder.

"I suggest you tell me what I want to know…NOW! And since this situation is clearly in my favor, I also recommend you drop your weapon." Jade reluctantly decided to dissipate her weapon and lift up her hands as a sign of surrender. Jasper loosened her grip on Milky Quartz's throat, but only slightly. "Nice to see you have some good sense. Now, tell me what happened to Tiger-eye."

"She…joined the Crystal Gems."

"You and I both know that's a lie!" Jasper roared as she threw Milky Quartz to the ground then pressed her foot on the prone Gem's back. "Now tell me what really happened to my partner!"

"Please stop," Jade pleaded as her eyes glistened with tears.

"Then speak up! Tell me what I need to know!"

"During her assassination attempt, Tiger-eye was…neutralized. In other words, she was shattered…"

Horrified by the thought of her beloved partner meeting a violent end, Jasper was distracted. Milky Quartz took advantage of that split second to get away from Jasper and reunite with her lover, Jade.

"You're gonna pay for what you did to Tiger-eye!"

"We didn't do it!" Milky Quartz shouted as the pair of former assassins eluded her rage fueled attack. "Tiger-eye was our friend, so we didn't want anything bad to happen to her! We heard about it after the fact!"

It was plain to see that Jasper was hearing none of what Milky Quartz had to say as she barreled down on the still injured pair. Jasper was about to hit her target when there was a sudden explosion and the area was clouded by thick smoke. After the smoke cleared the infuriated Commander saw that the rebels had escaped. Jasper took a split second to decide whether she would try to find her lover or seek out Rose Quartz and take her revenge. She decided on the former, because there was a possibility that the former dark Cross assassins were lying.

Commander Jasper contacted her troops and enlisted Scouts to do whatever it took to locate the Rebels' local base. While Jasper engaged in battle in the vast strawberry fields she accosted numerous enemy combatants and interrogated them about Tiger-eye's whereabouts. If she didn't get the information she wanted from them she would shatter the ones that didn't manage to escape her wrath. All the while Jasper hoped she would cross paths with Rose Quartz. Unfortunately, that never came to be. The Battle on the Strawberry Fields came to an end with the rebels declaring victory and Homeworld issuing the order for retreat. In her desperation, Jasper defied the order at first until Commander Carnelian discovered her distressed comrade scouring the battlefield for any clue, no matter how miniscule, to Tiger-eye's whereabouts.

"Jasper, what the hell are you doing?"

"Shut up, Carnelian! You're breaking my focus!"

"Jas, the Diamonds called for a retreat. We have to get moving before the Galaxy warp is shut down and we lose access to Homeworld for who knows how long!"

"I'm not leaving until I find her!"

"Find who?"

"My partner! I will find her even if it's the last thing I do!"

"Jas, we have to leave, unless you want to be stranded on this sad little rock!"

The stubborn commander still refused to give up on her search for her partner, so Carnelian enlisted the aid of Lt. Commander Andesine to help her force Jasper onto the Homeworld warp pad. Eventually it took four strong Quartz warriors to get Jasper on the warp pad in spite of her struggling against them and her desperate pleas. In a flash of light Jasper's attempt to find her partner came to an end. This heart rending moment marked the beginning of the yellow-orange warrior's decent into despair and madness.

Once Jasper returned to her estate she was greeted by a smiling Cassis Pearl, who had meticulously maintained the estate while the Commander and her mate were away.

"Don't speak to me," Jasper mumbled as she made her way down a corridor, her heavy footsteps echoing throughout the empty halls. Part of the soldier was half expecting her love to come running joyfully into her arms to welcome her home, but the major part of her that was anchored in reality knew that wasn't the case. As she made her way to their rejuvenation chamber her pace slowed as her sorrow weighed down on her like a pile of lead blankets.

Jasper wordlessly settled on her and her partner's shared cushion to brood. She reached over to a nearby end table and took hold of one of the message prisms Tiger-eye had given her. She spoke the spell to activate the device to experience the audio visual image of her precious partner.

" _Our love is the key to paradise."_

That short and simple spell caused the prism to open up and reveal the smiling face and lovely voice of Tiger-eye. The small recording consisted of a brief, loving message and a song for Jasper to listen to while she was away at war. After that recording was finished Jasper played one message after the other until they were all lined up in an arch on the floor in front of her. One by one she paused each message so that each displayed a still image of her beloved. One showed Tiger-eye laughing, another showed her crying, another showed her blowing a kiss, and other images showed her flirting in various states of undress. As she gazed at the beautiful images, Jasper was completely oblivious to the steady stream of tears flowing down her face.

' _Ty, I promise to make every Gem responsible for what happened to you pay…'_

The mourning soldier stayed out of the public eye for a short amount of time. However that time wasn't brief enough to escape the notice of Gems that were close to her. One day Cassis Pearl came to Jasper's darkened personal chamber to inform her that she had some visitors.

"Tell them to go away."

"I did, but they insisted that they see you. They are pretty persistent and seem very concerned."

"Who is it?"

"It's Commander Carnelian and Lt. Commander Andesine."

After a thoughtful moment of silence Jasper decided to at least see what the two concerned Gems wanted with her. As Jasper entered one of the sitting areas near the entrance to her estate she could hear Carnelian and her partner having a discussion.

"I can't imagine what Jas is going through, Carnie. It's gotta be hella hard on her. We gotta do something to help her pull through this. It's not good for her to stay holed up like this like some hermit."

"I hear ya, baby. We're part of the Praxis 14 West, so we're going to do whatever it takes to help our friend."

Jasper smiled slightly upon hearing Carnelian refer to her as a friend. Since she could hear the concern in both of Carnelian and Andesine's voices, the mourning Gem decided to hear them out. Carnie and Andie cut their conversation short when they heard Jasper shuffle in. Their jaws dropped at the sight of the formerly proud commander's disheveled state.

"By the twin Sun Goddesses, what the fuck happened to you, Jasper? You look like shit!" Carnelian proclaimed as Andesine sat there in total shock.

"I have good reason to look like this. What's your excuse?" Jasper muttered as she slumped in a nearby seat.

"Well, at least you still have your sense of humor…sort of…" Carnelian responded sympathetically, saddened by her friend's diminished condition. "Jas, I know you gotta be going through hell right now. We just wanna know if there's anything we can do to help. Whatever you decide needs to be done, we've got your back."

There was a thoughtful pause as Jasper lifted her gaze to settle on her fellow Quartz soldiers.

"I have an idea that's been bouncing around my mind for a while. Are you two up to joining me on a trip to The Cloisters?"

"Sure, Jas," Andie replied after finally regaining her capacity to speak. "But why do you want to go there? And do you even know where it is?"

"Oh, I know where it is. As for my reason for going there, it's simple. _Payback_."

Jasper laid out her plan with her friends before cleaning herself up and making a purpose filled trip to the north side of a certain peak of a crystal mountain. Master Jet and her current batch of initiates were blissfully unaware of the destruction personified coming their way. Guild Master Jet was overseeing the training of her initiates as they practiced their katas and sparred when a trio of uninvited and unexpected visitors barged in. The startled initiates ceased their training session as their guild master confronted the intimidating intruders.

"How the hell did you get in here and what do you want?" the founder of the Dark Cross Guild shouted as she approached the striped Commander and her companions.

"You and I have some business to settle."

"I don't have time for your nonsense! Get out of here!"

"I'm not going anywhere until the matter between us is settled to my satisfaction, bitch!" Jasper growled as she advanced towards her opponent. Jet backed peddled while calling on the security detail. "Don't bother calling your guards. My friends took care of them."

By now Master Jet was beyond nervous. The situation had clearly gotten out of hand, so she wanted to bring this conflict to a hasty end. One solution came to her mind so she called upon her Black Pearl. When the guild master got no answer from her loyal servant, Jasper chuckled at Jet's confusion as she drew ever closer.

"It is with deep regret that Black Pearl has retired from her service to you… _permanently_." Jasper stopped a few feet in front of Jet and opened her left fist to reveal the shattered remains of the guild master's servant. She then spilled the remains at Jet's feet with a grin so malicious it had the guild master terrified. "Now it's just you and me. Now we fight!"

Jasper quickly summoned her crash helmet and engaged in battle with the full force of her sturdy, massive body construct. She held nothing back. Jasper's fighting was so fierce it kept Jet on the defensive. With every blow the enraged warrior made the reason for her wrath plain and clear.

"This is for my partner! This is for every fucked up thing you did to her, said to her, and put her through!" Jet tried to take Jasper down with a roundhouse kick, but Jasper blocked it with her solid arms. Before Jet could execute her defense, Jasper grabbed hold of Jet's leg, spun her around, then she flung the guild master against the wall of the dojo with all her might. All this time Carnelian and Andesine prevented the initiates from interfering with the fight. It seemed that Jet was a glutton for punishment when she got up and charged at Jasper, who caught her in mid-run, hoisted Jet above her head, then slammed her into the ground leaving a small crater and causing a shockwave to quake the nearby ground. For her grand finale, Jasper stomped Jet's head with both feet, her entire body mass crushing that one body part. Jet's body construct immediately dispersed leaving behind the gem that once nestled at the center of her brow line. Jasper then picked up Jet's gem, laid it on level ground, and then pounded her crash helmet down on the Gem like a sledgehammer several times until the former guild master's gem was nothing but a glittering pile of powder. Jasper then slowly stood up and kicked Jet's pulverized remains aside. "Tiger-eye, this is for you wherever you are, my love."

After the dust settled, Jasper and her fellow soldiers departed from The Cloisters leaving a shocked batch of initiates in their wake. The clueless young Gems were at a loss without their leader, but Jasper didn't care. All that mattered to her was that she finally paid Jet back for every horrible thing she did to her lover, including sending her on a highly dangerous mission when she should have been safe on Jasper's estate.

Since its founder was destroyed, The Dark Cross Assassin Guild was disbanded. Under threat of bodily harm none of the initiates identified who shattered Master Jet. Things were still in a bit of upheaval on Homeworld in the wake of the defeat at the hands of the rebels. Morale was down so low among the troops that it was almost nonexistent. As Homeworld reorganized its infrastructure, Jasper was holed up in her estate once again to the frustration of her closest friends. One evening Carnelian and Andesine stopped by again to check up on their friend, but this time they brought a third party.

When her Pearl came to her personal chamber to tell her she had visitors, Jasper was hesitant to go greet her companions. That is until Cassis Pearl informed her that the pair had brought a special guest with them. When Jasper entered the sitting area she stopped in her tacks at a surprising sight. When she saw the third party she was rendered speechless. Carnelian greeted the dumbfounded Jasper with a smile as she introduced her guest.

"Hey, Jas, it's good to see you. I thought you could use some cheering up, so I got you something special. So, what do you think?"

Jasper looked over the special guest. The Gem had a reddish brown body construct with a lean, athletic build accented with a few cream colored stripes. She was obviously a Red Tiger-eye. She looked a lot like her partner, but there were clearly differences. This one's stripes were different. They were more numerous and their placement was at a sharper angle. Instead of a simple ponytail her hair was in an elaborate up-do accented with gold jewelry. Since her face was veiled all Jasper could see was her eyes, which lacked her beloved's look of wide eyed innocence. This one's gaze was sultry and seductive. Jasper couldn't ignore the fact that she felt uncomfortable around this red tiger-eye.

"Well, my partner and I will take our leave so you two can get acquainted! Enjoy! Let's go, Andie."

After Carnelian and Andesine left, Jasper and the unfamiliar Gem stood there awkwardly for a few seconds before the commander offered the tiger-eye a seat. Jasper watched as the other Gem settled into the soft chair with elegance and poise. Jasper sat in a chair next to her and struck up an awkward conversation.

"Uh, welcome to my estate."

"Thank you very much." Jasper took a moment to digest the sound of her voice. It was soft and sexy, yet lacked her partner's sweetness she had grown accustomed to. Jasper didn't like it at all.

"So tell me about yourself."

"All right. I was so excited to come here. I heard so many wonderful things about you and was looking forward to meeting you, Master."

"That's all well and good, and I'm flattered, but I want to know more about you, not what you think of me."

"Please explain," the Red Tiger-eye requested as she shifted uncomfortably in her seat.

"Well…I want to know what you like, dislike, what you hope to accomplish in your life, anything you'd like to learn…things like that."

"I like whatever Master likes, dislike whatever Master dislikes, I hope to accomplish pleasing my Master, and I'd like to learn how to make my Master happy." With every word the well-meaning Gem spoke Jasper got a sinking feeling.

"I don't think you understood my question. I want to know what you like to do for fun and what makes you feel fulfilled."

"It depends. Whatever you enjoy I will enjoy, Master. I gain fulfillment from pleasing you in every way you desire."

Jasper groaned in frustration and shook her head, making the Tiger-eye quite confused.

"Look, I know you're trying your best to please me and figure out my needs…but this isn't working for me. I can't do this…" The Red Tiger-eye immediately grew nervous as she began to panic. She had never been trained to deal with this type of encounter. Her master's unexpected response was throwing her for a loop.

"Master, please give me a chance to please you. I can sing, dance, and do lots of things I'm sure you'd like. Just say the word."

"Listen, if you want to please me, start by never calling me Master again. Call me Jasper."

"Yes, Mas…uh, Jasper."

"Also, please remove the veil."

"Of course." The confused concubine immediately obeyed.

"And lastly, relax and enjoy yourself. You are free to explore the estate whenever you want and do whatever you want with your free time. Can you do that for me?"

"I…suppose."

Jasper spent the next few months living with this Red Tiger-eye and getting accustomed to her presence. It didn't take Jasper long to realize what it was about this Tiger-eye that made her so uncomfortable. She lacked personality. She had no desires of her own. The Commander could see that she was very attractive physically, but when it came to stimulating Jasper with any displays of creativity this Tiger-eye fell flat. She was just plain boring. Jasper didn't give up though. She decided to bring a bit of excitement into their lackluster situation. One afternoon after Jasper had finished combat maneuvers with some cadets, the Commander summoned the red Tiger-eye to her personal chamber. As usual the reddish brown Gem was ready and willing to obey Jasper's orders. The soldier decided to try something she hadn't done in a while. She blindfolded the concubine then restrained her with her wrist tied above her head. When Jasper initiated the type of play she had become accustomed to with her partner, she didn't expect the response she got. The concubine began crying and struggling to get out of the restraints. Although Jasper held back on the rough play, the session was disastrous. When Jasper whispered the question, "Are you scared?" into the now trembling red Tiger-eye's ear she wailed, "Yes! I'm so scared, Master, please let me go!"

Jasper felt terrible and ashamed of herself. This Tiger-eye was clearly terrified of her. Her partner had never feared her and had always enjoyed their rough intimate play. But this wasn't her beloved partner, and she could never be. Jasper immediately released this red Tiger-eye and hugged her close. She apologized profusely and did her best to console the frightened concubine. Jasper decided that it would be best to return the traumatized concubine to the Tiger House. The red Tiger-eye didn't want to return to the Tiger House as a failure, so she begged Jasper to let her stay.

"You're not a failure," Jasper insisted as she wiped the weeping Gem's tears away. "If anyone failed, it's me. Once I get you back to the Tiger House I'll explain to them that this is my fault so you won't have to bear the shame. You deserve a much better master than me."

Any further protest from the concubine were silence by Jasper's tender kiss on her lips. After returning Carnelian's gift to the Tiger House, Jasper was once again consumed by her unspoken guilt. In her heart she knew she was a failure. She had failed to protect the Gem that she loved more than anything. That guilt that she carried with her made her feel that she would rather have been shattered in battle than bear this burden. She didn't only blame herself though. She knew her beloved Tiger-eye would still be here if it wasn't for that traitorous bitch, Rose Quartz.

Next Chapter: Nightmares to Dreams


	18. Chapter 18: Nightmares to Dreams

**AN: Dear readers, since from this point on this fic will proceed from a point in time that has yet to occur on Steven Universe I'm presenting this fanfic as AU (Alternate Universe) since we have yet to find out if and when Malachite will unfuse in the series. Please keep this in mind and enjoy the story! Thank you.**

 **Chapter 18: Nightmares to Dreams**

 **It was cold, quiet, and dim. There was a faint, pink glow coming from an undetermined source on the edge of all surroundings. The only sound that could be heard in this confined space was the soft sounds of sorrow and long lost hope. A little light body confined in her gem indefinitely had lost track of how many tears she had shed, how many times she had called out for her love, and even how long she had been imprisoned.**

 **The light being had been alone for so long she was immediately aware of another presence. She struggled to identify the shadowy figure gliding her way. Before the figure even got close enough for her to see she called out the one name that had never left her memory.**

" **Jasper…?"**

 **Steven's eyes shot open as he was jolted from his sleep. He sat up and frowned a bit while deep in thought. He had been working hard on controlling and improving his dream communication skills. Lately he had been seeing interesting, and at times confusing results. His initial connection had been with Lapis Lazuli and Jasper while they were still fused as Malachite. Eventually he was able to communicate with his little monster buddy, Centipeetle, pretty regularly. He just had the ensure that his corrupted Gem friend was in his thoughts before falling asleep. However, recently strange things started happening during his dream communications involving an unfamiliar Gem. He wasn't sure if he was somehow reaching out to the Gem or vice versa. Perhaps it was a little of both. Steven was unsure of all that. One thing he was sure of is that the odd occurrences began soon after Jasper was put in the prison cell Peridot had salvaged from her crashed space ship. It became even clearer that Jasper had some connection when Steven heard the Gem call out the Homeworld warrior's name. Hearing the Gem speak Jasper's name was surprising enough to wake Steven up.**

 **By now he was wide awake and knew that it would take him a while to fall back to sleep. Since Garnet was away on a mission and he assumed the rest of the Gems were in their respective rooms, the youngster decided to pay a certain Gem a visit. He stepped up to the door with the star shaped magical seal and lifted his pajama top, exposing his gem, which immediately began to glow. Once the portal opened on the door the hybrid child quietly shuffled into the pink tinted room. After wiping some sleep crust from his eyes he voiced his request to the magical room.**

" **Make a pathway for me to get to Jasper."**

 **Right on cue a hole opened up in the floor. Steven hopped down the hole and maneuvered his way through the heart of the Crystal Temple to the Burning Room. As he made his way through the room he passed numerous bubbled Gems. He paused to take a look at his monster buddy floating several feet above his head and smiled when the greenish Gem glowed briefly. As Steven walked to one of the far corners of the Burning Room a faint sound reached his ears. The soft, gentle melody made it clear that someone was singing. He had a fleeting thought that it might be Jasper, but that seemed way too bizarre. Besides, the voice clearly registered on a higher scale than the deep voiced warrior. Steven peeked around the corner and into the cell. Jasper was sitting on the floor with her back towards him. She appeared to be hunched over something. When Steven tiptoed closer he could definitely hear singing. Whoever's voice it was sounded quite lovely. By the time the young hybrid made it to the cell he could hear a deeper voice humming along with the tune. Steven watched in silence as the Homeworld commander gently swayed her body to the rhythm and continued to hum along.**

' _ **Her voice doesn't sound bad. In fact she's harmonizing with the other voice. My question is where is that other voice coming from?'**_

 **Jasper stopped in the middle of the song. At about the same time the other voice ceased as well.**

" **How long are you going to stand there?"**

" **Uh…heh…hey, Jasper. How's it goin'?"**

" **Let's see. The space transport I came here on was destroyed, I'm still recovering from being trapped in an extremely unstable fusion with a crazy ass bitch, and now I'm imprisoned in a cell salvaged by a little green brat who hasn't even learned to summon her weapon. So it's safe to say my life is pretty shitty right now." The kneeling Jasper turned to face Steven. He noticed her careworn features and the sadness in her golden eyes. "I'm curious about why you even care how I'm doing. I'm your prisoner, after all."**

 **Steven flopped down on the floor just in front of the greenish-yellow plasma field that served as a barrier between him and Jasper.**

" **Boy oh boy, I really need to work on my small talk. Sorry about that, Jasper. I actually am concerned about you."**

" **Heh, of course you are…"**

" **Yes, really. I am." Steven paused to run his fingers through his black curls as he watched Jasper watch him closely. "You know, you have a pretty good singing voice."**

" **Is this how you get your entertainment? Come here to make light of my situation?" Jasper growled.**

" **Geez, you can't even take a compliment! I don't get any joy out of another person's suffering!"**

" **In that case, let me out of this cell."**

" **Are you kidding me? Garnet would kill me, revive me using her gauntlets as a defribulator, then kill me again!"**

" **What the hell is a defribulator?"**

" **You know what? Never mind. Like I said, I'm not here for my own amusement. I actually want to learn more about you."**

" **And why, pray tell, would you want to learn more about me? So you can use the information against me?"**

" **No! I want to find a way to help you and…see if we can be friends."**

 **Steven flinched at the sound of Jasper's gut busting laughter.**

" **Look you…Steven, you are one of the strangest beings I have ever encountered. That is not a compliment, by the way. The truth is I want nothing to do with you filthy rebels!"**

" **I am not a rebel! I wasn't even born when the war happened! I'm still trying to understand what happened and why my mother did what she did. I just want to understand and learn how to use my powers to protect this planet like my mother, Rose Quartz." Steven watched as Jasper scoffed, scowled, and balled her fists at the mention of his mother's name. Her face displayed an all consuming anger, yet her eyes displayed a deep sadness. "Jasper, why do you hate my mother so much?"**

" **Why? You really need to ask me that? Rose Quartz was a traitor to her own kind! Not only did her actions cause life on Homeworld to change forever, but because of her I lost everything that was important to me!" Hearing the Gem warrior speaking ill of his mother cause anger to rise up in Steven as well.**

" **So, what are you butthurt that you lost power, or some high position? My mom lost so many of her friends because she chose to protect this planet and the people on it!"**

" **I lost my partner, damn it!" Hearing that Steven's rant came to a full stop as he looked Jasper dead in the face. That's when Steven witnessed a shocking sight. Jasper's normally headstrong, tough demeanor had crumbled. The soldier had been reduced to tears. "She was the only Gem I ever loved. She meant everything to me. If it hadn't been for that damned rebellion she would still…"**

 **Steven flopped back down on the floor as his own tears of sympathy spilled from his eyes.**

" **Jasper…I'm sorry. I'm sorry that so many people were hurt or lost their lives because of all this. I wish I could go back in time somehow and do something to make sure all this never happened, but I can't. I'm also sorry for assuming that all you care about is yourself and that you're not capable of loving anybody. I can't change what happened in the past, so please, please let me do what I can to help you now!"**

" **What could you possibly do to help me? Can you bring my love back to me?"**

" **I'm not sure. What happened to her?"**

" **I was told she was shattered. At first I didn't believe it, but I haven't heard from her for over 5000 years…" Jasper reached behind her to grab something. When she brought her hand around Steven saw some kind of open object with a still image projecting from it. "This is all I have with me to remember my partner. It was the last gift she gave me before I was deployed to fight during the rebellion. It's my only means I have left to see her and hear her voice."**

" **Jasper…she's beautiful. What's her name?" Steven waited for the answer as the Gem cleared her throat and wiped away her tears.**

" **Tiger-eye. I called her Ty. And yes, she is beautiful, even though she didn't think so."**

" **Self esteem issues. I have a friend like that…Uh, how did you guys meet?"**

" **We met in the Homeworld Kindergarten in the Western Complex. She had my attention from the moment I laid eyes on her. When I finally got to talk to her, see that sweet smile, and hear that cute laugh of hers, it was a done deal. I just had to get to know her."**

" **Aww. That sounds so sweet."**

 **Jasper grew quiet as she deactivated the message prism then put it away for safe keeping.**

" **I miss her so much. If only there was a way for me to find out what happened to her."**

 **Steven pondered a solution for a moment then perked up.**

" **I have an idea." Steven proposed a solution and gave Jasper some time to give it some thought. She was a bit skeptical, but since she didn't have any suggestions she decided to give Steven a chance to at least try.**

 **Steven managed to return to his bedroom unnoticed by the other Crystal Gems. He took deep breaths to calm his excited emotions from the emotionally charged discussion he had with Jasper. He then closed his eyes and willed an image of Tiger-eye into his thoughts. As he drifted into a dream state the image of the lost Gem expanded into his subconscious mind.**

 **Once his body has settled into deep sleep his mind was free to roam. His mind filtered through all of the peripheral images to focus on his intended goal. This time he arrived at his destination much faster than before and found himself face to face with a confused and frightened light body. As he drew closer Steven saw the being withdraw from him.**

" **Stay back! Who are you and how did you get in here?"**

" **Tiger-eye, calm down. My name is Steven and I'm not here to hurt you!" Steven's words piqued her curiosity.**

" **How did you know my name?"**

" **Jasper told me."**

" **You…know Jasper? How is that possible?"**

" **That's a long story I'd love to tell, but right now I want to figure out where you are and how to get you out."**

" **I thought it was pretty obvious that we're inside of my gem. The problem is I can't regenerate. Something has me trapped inside."**

 **Steven considered Tiger-eye's information as he examined their surroundings. He noticed a soft, pink glow on the edge of the reddish-brown and cream pocket dimension. He suspected that he understood why Tiger-eye was in her present situation. His thoughts went back to the Centipeetle and how it was unable to regenerate while bubbled. Steven relayed this information to Tiger-eye, who gave it some thought.**

" **You know, that makes a whole lot of sense, Steven. So, what can be done about it?"**

" **If I can find the bubble you're in I can release you. If your bubble is where I think it is I can get you out pretty quickly. I just need you to do your part. If you try to regenerate that will make the bubble glow. If it's nearby I'll see it and let you out, ok?"**

" **Really? You'd do all that for me?"**

" **Of course."**

" **But why?"**

" **Because…I could tell that Jasper really loves you and misses you. And I promised that I'd do whatever it takes to find you so you two can be together again." Tiger-eye was overwhelmed by such a show of kindness. Without a second thought she embraced Steven's astral body.**

" **Thank you so much! I love Jasper and miss her so much…I want to see her so badly!"**

" **I understand," Steven responded as he hugged the emotional Gem in return until his astral body began to fade. "Tiger-eye, I'm starting to wake up. Is there anything you want me to tell Jasper after I get back to my body?"**

" **Yes…" Steven listen carefully to the message and committed it to his memory before waking up in his bed. He checked his clock and saw that it was 4 AM. He quietly got out of bed to check to make sure the coast was clear then made his way back to the Burning Room with a butterfly net in hand. Just as he was about the round the corner to deliver Tiger-eye's message to Jasper Steven stopped when he heard voices. When he peeked around the corner he witnessed Peridot and Lapis Lazuli standing just outside of Jasper's cell. From the sound of things it appeared they were having a heated discussion with the incarcerated Homeworld Commander. After a few minutes Lapis and Peridot headed back Steven's way looking quite disgusted. Steven quickly moved around the corner to stay out of their sight.**

" **Ugh! That Jasper is so hardheaded! I have no idea how you managed to remain fused with her for so long without losing your mind!"**

" **I wonder about that myself sometimes, Peridot. I'm glad that brute is still confined and hope she stays that way forever."**

 **After Steven could no longer hear their voices he tiptoed his way over to Jasper's cell.**

" **Psst! Hey, I'm back. And I have good news."**

 **Jasper turned around to give Steven her full attention.**

" **What did you find out?"**

" **I saw Tiger-eye. I actually spoke to her!" Jasper brightened at the news, but her excitement was curbed by her skepticism.**

" **Why should I believe you?"**

" **Oh, c'mon, Jasper! Don't you trust me?"**

" **No, not really."**

" **Well, it's a good thing I asked Tiger-eye to send me back with a message for you. She said to tell you these specific words. 'Our love is the key to paradise.' Does that mean anything to you?"**

 **For a few seconds a stunned Jasper stared at the hybrid boy in awe before she quietly answered his query.**

" **Yes. Those words mean that my partner is alive…and that I can trust you."**

" **See, I told you!"**

" **Where is she?"**

" **I think she's a lot closer than you think. I think she's bubbled and possibly somewhere in this room. I asked her to try to regenerate, which will make her gem glow and help me to find her. I'm going to use this to reach the bubble she's in." He held up the butterfly net for emphasis. "Listen, Jasper, it might take me a while to look through all of the bubbled Gems, but I won't give up until I find her, ok?" The Gem soldier nodded in agreement. "Great. I'll be back."**

 **After making sure there was no one else in the burning room, Steven extended the handle of the butterfly net to gently move around various bubbled Gems with the edge of the net. He carefully and meticulously combed through the floating objects while occasionally looking to see if any of the Crystal Gems were coming. After almost two hours scouring through the bubbled Gems he finally spotted one glowing faintly. He carefully scooped it into the butterfly net and brought it down to his level. When he looked into the pink bubble he could see an oval shaped, striated Gem floating within it. He set the bubble in his left hand then popped it with his right with a burst of magic. He got a chance to briefly admire the reddish-brown, striped Gem with a smooth cut before it floated up from his open hand. He stepped back as the Gem cycled through previous incarnations then fully reformed.**

 **Before Steven stood a seven foot tall being with reddish brown skin with a few cream colored stripes on her body. Her clothing consisted of a one shoulder halter in red and cream, a pair of long red harem pants with a shimmering light colored belt with golden tassels from the edges, and a pair of red and gold slippers. Her wavy hair cascaded over her shoulders. She looked very different from the light body with light brown eyes he had seen inside of her gem. As Tiger-eye got oriented to being outside of that bubble after thousands of years her eyes met with young half-human before her. She knelt before the pink skinned hybrid child who was her savior from a never-ending lonely life of solitude.**

" **I'm free…Because of you I'm finally free!" Tiger-eye threw her arms around Steven who blushed a little at the sudden contact. "Thank you!"**

" **Aww shucks, it's no biggie."**

" **Oh, you're so humble. I really am grateful though. I just had to give you proper thanks. Now, where's my Jaspy?"**

" **Oh yeah! She's right over here. Uh, follow me."**

 **Steven took the grateful Gem by the hand and led her to cell where Jasper was being held. Once the two lovers saw each other their expressions went from speechless to utter joy, until Tiger-eye noticed something that confused her.**

" **Hey, why is my jasper locked up in a cell?" Steven slapped a hand against his forehead then apologized profusely as he deactivated the plasma field. He then stuck his arm into the cell to make sure it was fully deactivated. Once it was confirmed that it was safe for Jasper to exit the cell, the Gem warrior immediately ran to her love gathering her up in her powerful embrace. The reunited couple became an amalgam of laughter, tears of joy, and affection. After what had to be several dozen kisses, the partners finally spoke to each other for the first time after millennia.**

" **Ty, my sweet Ty! After all this time I get to see you! I thought I'd lost you forever!"**

" **I missed you so much, Jasper! I thought I'd never get to see you again! How long has it been?"**

" **Honey, it's been over 5000 years," Jasper answered sternly. Tiger-eye took a moment to absorb that information, then broke down in tears of regret.**

" **Baby I'm so sorry! This is all because I failed my mission. If hadn't fucked that up…"**

" **Ty, please stop. It's not your fault."**

" **But…"**

" **Tiger-eye, I don't blame you for what happened. I'm just so happy to have you back."**

 **Jasper silenced her lover's objections with a kiss so passionate Steven had to avert his eyes to keep from blushing. He felt glad to have facilitated such a happy reunion. Unfortunately, that happy reunion was short lived. It was interrupted by a familiar voice coming from behind them shouting with a mixture of frustration, confusion, and anger to ask a simple question.**

" **STEVEN, WHAT HAVE YOU DONE!"**

 **Next Chapter: Past Sins**


	19. Chapter 19: Past Sins

AN: I'd like to thank ticklishnatasha for following this series since 'Angel in a Blue Dress.' You always provide great feedback and your insight into the characters, canon and original, is always on point. Now, on to the next chapter. Make way for a maelstrom of feels!

Chapter 19: Past Sins

In the early morning hours in Beach City, the day was off to a crazy start for Steven Quartz Universe. One moment a happy pair of Gems was celebrating their reunion, and the next moment that same pair was surrounded by all but one of the Crystal Gems, who were now on high alert. Steven took a protective stance in front of Jasper and Tiger-eye imploring for everyone to be calm. For the now agitated Crystal Gems, that was easier said than done.

"Steven, get away from them!" Pearl shouted as she summoned her spear. By now Jasper and her partner were standing back to back in a defensive stance. Garnet stood face to face with the Homeworld soldier while Pearl was on the other side pointing her weapon at Tiger-eye. Steven, in a panic, scrambled behind Jasper to stand between Pearl and her intended target.

"Pearl, why are you doing this? I'm not in any danger!"

"Oh, I beg to differ, Steven. Now please get away from that Tiger-eye now!"

"But, why Pearl? She's been nothing but nice to me! And if either one of them wanted to hurt me they would have done it by now!"

"Don't be fooled by them, Steven. Jasper is still an enemy combatant and that Tiger-eye tried to assassinate your mother!"

Hearing that left the hybrid boy shocked into silence. He then glanced up at Tiger-eye confused and wanting answers.

"Tiger-eye…is that true?"

The former Dark Cross assassin grew silent as tears welled up in her eyes. After some more verbal prompting from Steven she finally nodded an affirmative.

"I don't understand. Why would you do that?"

"Because she's a monster, that's why!" Pearl interjected.

"Pearl, I want to hear Tiger-eye's answer for myself."

Pearl was about to argue further until Garnet's hand fell on her shoulder.

"Pearl, let her speak. If she dares to lie to Steven I'll know. And if she does, the consequences will be immediate." A visibly nervous Tiger-eye huddled even closer to her beloved after hearing Garnet's chilling words. She hung her head in shame as Steven waited expectantly for her answer.

"Steven, I didn't want to assassinate Rose Quartz. I was ordered to do it. I didn't even want to be involved in the war."

"That doesn't make any sense," Peridot mumbled while she stood tucked away behind Lapis. "Tiger-eyes are not designed for battle."

"That didn't stop my Guild Master from forcing me to take on the mission," Tiger-eye grumbled in reply.

"You sound ridiculous! Tiger-eyes aren't supposed to be part of any guild!" Peridot protested.

"Well I was!"

"But…"

"Peridot! That's enough!" Garnet sternly interrupted. "Please continue, Tiger-eye."

"Anyway, I didn't even want to come back to Earth in the first place, especially during a war. But Master Jet told me that if I didn't take on the mission…" The blacksmith paused as her emotions welled up at the horrible memories. Jasper, who was still in a protective stance over her lover, clasped the blacksmith's hand to show her support. "If I hadn't agreed to the mission, Master Jet would have made sure Jasper suffered the consequences. I didn't want to hurt Rose Quartz, but more than that I didn't want to lose Jasper."

"Garnet, how long are we going to let her continue on with this pitiful sob story?" Pearl grumbled with an exasperated sigh. "Let's just throw them in the cell together and be done with them!"

It looked as if an argument was going to break out among the Crystal Gems when Steven walked up to the couple to take Tiger-eye by the hand. He had a lot of conflicting emotions going on inside of him about this whole situation, and he still wanted answers. Lapis called out to Steven warning him to back away from the pair of lovers, but Steven ignored all protests as the remorseful Tiger-eye knelt before him while Jasper continued to protect her beloved with threatening looks alone.

"Tiger-eye, while I still don't understand all that went on during the war because I wasn't there, and I'm not happy that you tried to kill my mom…I can tell that you regret doing what you did."

"Oh, come on, Steven! Are you really falling for her act?"

"It's not an act, Pearl! Her tears are real. And she hasn't tried to hurt me once since we met. Even Jasper hasn't tried to harm me. If either one of them wanted to hurt me they would have done it by now. Right now I think everybody should calm down and talk things out instead of fighting and attacking each other."

"Steven's right," Garnet added. "The Crystal Temple is no place for a battle. There's still structural damage on the outside from the spaceship crash. We don't need any additional damage on the inside as well."

Although Steven's line of reasoning was a bit different from Garnet's, he readily agreed with the leader of the Crystal Gems who gave the order to escort Jasper and Tiger-eye out of the burning room. Garnet led the security escort while Pearl took up the rear, her spear readily at hand. Jasper had Tiger-eye walk in front of her to protect Ty's gem from an attack from the rear. Lapis and Peridot walked to the left of the couple while Steven and Amethyst walked on their right.

Of all the Gems present, only Steven and Amethyst weren't aware of what Tiger-eye actually was. In light of what Steven had learned about Tiger-eye's past involvement in the war, he was having mixed emotions. He had a hard time wrapping his mind around the sweet, bubbly Gem being involved in an assassination attempt. At the same time, she admitted to it and showed remorse. In spite of Pearl's skepticism, Steven had a feeling that Tiger-eye was put in a very difficult situation by her superior, as the blacksmith had said. However, he was still understandably relieved that Tiger-eye had failed her mission, because if she hadn't he would never have been born.

As for Jasper, Steven thought she was definitely a tough nut to crack. For the most part, Jasper was a flaming ball of negative emotions from what he could see. Yet he noticed a soft side to her that only one Gem in particular seemed to bring out. After witnessing the soldier's joyful reunion with her partner and seeing her be so protective of her beloved, Steven could tell Jasper was genuinely capable of love. He had already began to question his understandable first impression of Jasper as a scary monster after his conversation with her while she was in that cell. Even after he let Jasper out of the cell Jasper showed no intention of harming him. All of this was so confusing to Steven, yet he was sure Garnet would help him sort it all out.

Soon the Crystal Gems had escorted Jasper and Tiger-eye to the beach house living room. Garnet ordered the couple to have a seat on the sectional sofa. Jasper reluctantly complied as she kept her partner so close one couldn't even slip a sheet of paper between them. Steven settled down on the sofa to the left of Tiger-eye, in spite of Pearl's disapproving glare. Amethyst sat next to Steven and gave Tiger-eye a friendly wave. The former assassin reluctantly waved back until she felt her partner jab her in the side. Off to the side lying on the floor was a rather large pink lion looking quite uninterested in what was going on. Garnet loomed over the formerly imprisoned pair as Jasper looked the fusion right in the face, unintimidated by her imposing stance.

"So, what happens now?" Jasper sneered as she took in all her surroundings. As a soldier she was almost always calculating and strategizing. She knew she was in enemy territory and was ready and willing to do whatever it took to protect her partner.

"Now we negotiate," Garnet responded, her shades displaying a brief flash of blue.

"And what, pray tell, are we negotiating for?"

"Your freedom, of course."

While Garnet spoke to the possible enemy combatants, Pearl took Steven by the hand and pulled him out of Jasper and Tiger-eye's reach.

"I'm not negotiating anything unless I know the terms," Jasper clearly announced to the leader of the Crystal Gems.

"Understandable. Here are the terms. We can call a truce while the two of you are under constant watch, you can join the Crystal Gems and assist us on missions, or we can throw both of you in the cell together. The first two arrangements will immediately become null and void if you harm any of the Crystal Gems (especially Steven) and the latter choice will be your only choice. So, Jasper, Tiger-eye, what will it be? You have five minutes to make a decision."

Jasper didn't need five minutes to make her decision. The first option was the only feasible one in her opinion. There was no way in all the vast cosmos she would join the Crystal Gems, and she certainly didn't want to go back into that salvaged prison cell. So a truce was agreed upon between the recently reunited couple and the Crystal Gems. Certain Gems (specifically Pearl and Lapis Lazuli) felt that it would be safer if the partners were put in the cell behind the containment field, but Garnet chose to honor her word and stick with the agreement. Jasper made a surprisingly reasonable request for some private time to speak with her lover while under guard. Garnet agreed and escorted the pair outside of the beach house. Once they got about fifty yards away from the house Garnet granted them one hour to talk while she stood about ten feet away. Although Jasper wasn't comfortable with Garnet listening to their conversation, she was wary of going any closer to the ocean. With Lapis being nearby she didn't want to experience an ordeal similar to the previous one she would rather forget. When Tiger-eye walked closer to the water Jasper grabbed her by the hand and stopped her in her tracks.

"Let's sit here, love, so we can talk." Tiger-eye agreed, knowing their time was limited. Once Jasper sat on the ground her partner immediately settled between her legs. Tiger-eye rested her head on her lover's shoulder as Jasper enveloped her in her comforting embrace. "Now that I have a chance to tell you this, I must say you look so beautiful. You've always looked amazing, but the way you look now makes me want to drop everything and build a temple in your honor."

"Oh, Jasper, please stop exaggerating…" Tiger-eye muttered in embarrassment.

"I'm serious. You're so stunning one could mistake you for a goddess." By now the blacksmith had buried her face in her hands to hide her blush.

"Oh, Jaspy, you really lay it on thick with the compliments," Tiger-eye snickered as she peeked through her fingers.

"Trust me, you deserve every one of them. And there's plenty more to come." Jasper showered the blushing Tiger-eye with affection until she heard her partner sigh heavily. "What's wrong, honey?"

"I…feel so bad that you were all alone for thousands of years, all because of my mistake."

"Ty, things were pretty rough for the most part, but…"

"But what, baby?"

There was a pregnant pause before Jasper continued.

"I, uh, wasn't alone the whole time."

Hearing that, Tiger-eye gave her partner a wary glance.

"What you mean by that, Jasper?"

"Well…a little over a century after the war ended…Carnelian decided to give me a gift. She and Andesine stopped by with…another Red Tiger-eye."

"What? Did you ask Carnelian to do that?"

"No! It was a total surprise."

"You turned her away, right?"

"Not at first."

"Jasper!"

"I know it sounds bad, honey, but I wasn't in my right mind at the time, and I was…lonely."

In spite of feeling emotionally crushed, Tiger-eye managed to keep her hurt feelings in check so she could ask more questions.

"Did you have…feelings for her?"

"No. She looked like you, but she wasn't you. She lacked personality and was boring as hell. You're so much different. You're sweet, funny, a bit unpredictable, talented, and beautiful inside and out."

"There you go with the flattery again…"

"It's not flattery. It's how I really feel about you." Jasper started to kiss her lover, but Tiger-eye pulled away to ask another question.

"Jasper, did you…do stuff with her?" Jasper grumbled as she prepared for Tiger-eye's reaction.

"No…but I admit I did try. But the results were disastrous. She…couldn't handle the way we used to play. So, I returned her to the Tiger House and haven't been back since."

"Oh…" Tiger-eye had grown quiet and her body language screamed discomfort.

"Ty, I know this isn't easy to hear, but you know I can't lie to you. I'd rather just be honest with you rather than lie and try to cover it up."

"I…I know, baby…" The troubled Gem faltered then stopped speaking as she fought back tears. It wasn't just not easy to hear Jasper say these things. It was down right painful. Jasper noticed her lover's hesitation and discomfort as she lifted Tiger-eye's chin until their eyes met. Tiger-eye could see so much sorrow and regret in those golden eyes that she wondered about all that her partner experienced without her to cause such sorrow.

"Ty, I'm so sorry that I wasn't able to find you sooner. Even after Yellow Diamond called for a retreat I did everything I could to find you. I had to be literally dragged off of this planet before the Galaxy warp was destroyed. I hope you can forgive me for failing you."

Tiger-eye hugged her lover close as she fought her own feelings of guilt. She felt she had failed her partner as well. As the couple continued their conversation, Jasper told her partner about some of the changes that took place on Homeworld. She even explained how fusion used for any reason outside of battle was outlawed.

"So, on Homeworld Garnet would be imprisoned?"

"Definitely, but only after being forced to un-fuse. And since they were part of the rebellion they would most likely be shattered." Tiger-eye gasped in horror at the thought of Scoop and Little Cutie succumbing to such a violent and permanent end. Jasper didn't share her sentiment, however. She figured that Ruby and Sapphire chose to rebel, so if they were insane enough to return to Homeworld it would be their own fault when they paid the ultimate consequence.

"Well, at least you'd never get caught up in all that fusion controversy. A strong Gem like you doesn't need it," Tiger-eye complimented with a smile, which slowly faded when Jasper got very quiet. As she stood guard, a very observant Garnet witnessed a change in the couple's demeanor. They went from cuddling to a tense face off. Although she couldn't understand what they were saying she could tell that Tiger-eye was very upset and very animated about something. Garnet approached the arguing couple to make sure things didn't get out of hand just in time to hear part of their conversation.

"Do you remember what you said you'd do to me if I ever fused with another Gem? Well I've got a question for you. Where's the nearest volcano?"

"Ty, please calm down!"

"Hell no! Not only did you fuse after giving me a hard time about my low key attitude about it, you fuse with that bitch that was messin' around with Emerald!"

By now it was blatantly obvious to Garnet what the big blow up was all about. Just when it seemed like their argument was going to come to blows Tiger-eye took off towards downtown Beach City. Jasper attempted to follow her lover but Garnet caught her by the arm.

"Jasper, let her go. If you follow her it'll just make things worse."

"Get your hands off of me!"

"Will you please just listen to me? If you follow her you will lose her forever."

"How the hell would you know?"

"Jasper, I know you find it hard to trust me, which is completely understandable, but I'm trying to help the both of you. I suggest you fall back, let her cool off, and she'll come back. If you try to force her to talk to you in her present emotional state things will go drastically bad. Now you can choose to fly off the handle, confront her, and permanently ruin your relationship; or you can give her space to calm down, think things over, and be a little more rational once she returns. So, either take my advice, or fuck things up. It's up to you."

Jasper looked in the direction Tiger-eye had run and cursed when she realized she had lost sight of her love.

"Damn you! You just spouted all that shit just so she could get away!" Jasper seethed as she ran off to find her partner. After over an hour of searching Jasper finally returned to the beach house looking utterly defeated. After hearing all the ruckus earlier the other Crystal Gems had come outside to find out what was going on. Garnet had filled the others in about what had happened between the lovers. Unlike the rest, Garnet didn't seemed surprised at all that Jasper had returned empty handed. The stoic fusion didn't say a word as the dejected warrior flopped down in the sand and hung her head in shame over the fact that her lover had managed to elude her.

Steven gently placed a hand on Jasper's shoulder before sitting down on her left side. Her somber mood contrasted greatly with the bright and beautiful weather. Steven was having a hard time wrapping his head around the fact that Jasper and Tiger-eye went from happy reunion to messy break-up within a matter of hours. He was under the impression that the couple's bond was very strong. Then again they had been separated for a very long time, so perhaps they needed to get reacquainted. Whatever the case, Steven hoped the pair would be able to work things out.

"Jasper, are you gonna be ok?"

"I don't know…" the soldier whispered. Steven didn't pick up any anger in her tone, just uncertainty and vulnerability.

"I can't speak for any of the others, but I'm willing to do all I can to help, all right?"

"I…appreciate your offer. You've already done plenty so…thanks."

After observing the spiritually broken Gem, Steven turned to Garnet to make a simple request.

"Maybe we should look for Tiger-eye to make sure she's all right."

"That won't be necessary, Steven. She'll be back soon. Now come back inside to finish up your chores." Steven groaned a bit in annoyance until Pearl reminded him that she would be perfectly happy to help him with his chores. Garnet then ordered Amethyst and Lapis to stand guard over Jasper to make sure she didn't run off after her lover. From the looks of things the depressed Commander wasn't going anywhere any time soon.

Hours passed and soon sunset was upon the currently peaceful Beach City. A group of friends was enjoying the fresh sea breeze as they walked along the beach. One was a pale skinned blond young man with angular features. The second young man had a swarthy complexion and a pair of dark shades. There were two young, dark skinned women with them that looked almost identical except for their hair styles. One had a medium length, neatly styled afro, and the other had Nubian twists pulled back in a neat ponytail. The humans laughed and joked around on the beach until their playful mood was interrupted by an unexpected sound coming from nearby.

"Hey, guys, do you hear that?" The ponytailed teen asked as she scanned their surroundings, trying to pinpoint the noise. The other young lady turned her attention to the sound as well.

"I hear it too, Sis. Sounds like somebody crying. I think it's coming from over there." She pointed towards the boardwalk. By now the pale young man had taken his earbuds out of curiosity as the tanned teen suggested that they check under the boardwalk…but proceed with caution. The quartet stopped just a few feet away from the wooden structure where the sounds of soft weeping were coming from. When one of the teen girls called out to the shadowy form beneath the boardwalk the person grew quiet. The teen wearing shades knelt down, then using his flashlight app on his smart phone he shed light under the boardwalk. He revealed a brown skinned person with a few stripes on her arms which the humans assumed were tattoos. Her eyes looked puffy and moist so it was obvious that she had been crying. By now all four humans were peering at this being huddled up under the damp boardwalk until one of the girls struck up a conversation.

"Hi. Are you ok? Are you lost?" The stranger scooted her feet in the sand and shrugged a bit. "My name's Kiki. That's my twin sister, Jenny. This is Sour Cream, and over there is Buck. What's your name?" The tall being looked over the humans a moment before quietly replying.

"Tiger-eye." This time Jenny spoke up.

"Hey, Tiger-eye. That's a cool name. I love your tattoos." A confused expression flashed across the Gem's face before she once again hung her head. "Umm…I don't mean to be nosy, but what you cryin' for?" When the Gem didn't answer, Buck chimed in with his speculation.

"I think she had a fight with her paramour."

"Huh? Dude, what's a paramour? Her French butler or something?" Sour Cream asked.

"No, honey. He means her boyfriend," Kiki explained as Jenny shook her head. She didn't think now was the time for her boyfriend to wax poetic. "Tiger-eye is that what happened? Did you have a falling out with your boyfriend?"

"No…I don't have a boyfriend. But I do have a partner. Well, at least I did…" The teens caught on to what Tiger-eye was saying. Even Sour Cream realized the implications after a bit of thought.

"Oh…so your boyfriend is actually a GIRLfriend. Cool." Since it was really awkward trying to carry on a conversation while kneeling and peeking under the boardwalk, Jenny beckoned Tiger-eye from beneath the structure. Tiger-eye eventually crawled out to sit between the twins.

"So, Tiger-eye, you want to talk about what happened?" The Gem glanced around at the humans' expectant faces. For some reason she felt at ease in their presence. So far they were showing her kindness and consideration she had rarely witness on Homeworld.

"My partner…uh, she told me something that hurt me so deeply. She did something that I would have never even imagined she would do. And what made it worse is that she had once told me before that if I ever did what she ended up doing she would throw me into the heart of a volcano!"

"Geez!" Buck exclaimed. "That is harsh!"

"Let me guess. She cheated on you, right?" Jenny surmised. Tiger-eye's response was to burst into tears. "Damn, that's foul." Kiki gave the heartbroken gem a sympathetic pat on the shoulder.

"I don't know what to do!" Tiger-eye wailed. "I'm so hurt, yet at the same time I love her so much!"

"Tiger-eye, do you mind if I make a suggestion?" Kiki quietly offered. Tiger-eye calmed down enough to nod yes. "I think you should take time to weigh your options. If the hurt outweighs the love then cut her off and move on with your life. If the love outweighs the hurt then I think you should give her another chance. But before you make a decision really think things through. You think you can do that?"

"Yes." Tiger-eye talked a bit more with the friendly humans before they parted ways. She headed back to the temple feeling a little better and more confident about how to move forward in her life. Back at the Crystal Temple an agitated Jasper paced back and forth in the sand looking like a lion on the prowl as Amethyst and Lapis were ready to restrain her if necessary.

"She's been gone too long! Something must have happened to her." Jasper ceased pacing to look her two temporary guards in the eye, her golden eyes flashing with determination. "I'm going to look for her."

"The hell you are!" Amethyst growled. "Now stay put before I kick your ass!"

"Ha! Don't make me laugh!" Jasper scoffed as she stormed off. "I'm going to find my partner and there's nothing you can do to stop me!"

Lapis caught up with Jasper to cut off her escape.

"Get out of my way!"

"I've got an entire ocean at my disposal, so I suggest you go back and stay put." Their intense stand-off was interrupted by Amethyst's loud shout.

"Hey, look who's back!"

Both Lapis and Jasper glanced over to see a somber looking Tiger-eye approaching. The soldier ran to meet her estranged mate very much relieved to see her.

"Ty, I'm so glad you came back. Are you all right?" Tiger-eye silently nodded as she made her way up the staircase leading to the beach house. Jasper followed close behind continuing to speak to her, but Tiger-eye didn't speak one word in response. The blacksmith finally entered the house, letting the door shut in Jasper's face.

"Damn, she's really giving you the cold shoulder!" Amethyst teased. Jasper was not amused, but she ignored the purple Gem warrior to follow her lover inside. "Well, Lapis, it looks like we might be in for a drama filled ride. This should be fun!"

Lapis Lazuli groaned softly at the thought of the possible disastrous outcome.

"I think we all would have been better off locking them in the cell together," Lapis mumbled as Steven greeted them with his usual broad, bright, genuine smile. That smile managed to lift the blue elemental's spirits a bit, giving her some hope that all would be well in the end.

Next Chapter: Beach City Hotel


	20. Chapter 20: Beach City Hotel

AN: My Lordy! Queen Sugar has once again brought me to tears and the 4th Steven Bomb was just getting started! Ruby and Sapphire's duet was so precious. Those two make such a sweet couple. As for Yellow Diamond, her demeanor and speech pattern reminded me of a James Bond movie villain, especially when she said she wanted the planet Earth to die. Now it's time for Jas and Ty to figure out how to mend their relationship. Here is a link to some more fan art of Jas and Ty. hatakemegumichan. deviantart art/Jas-Ty-Date-582921432 Just copy and paste the link then remove the spaces.

Also, my mother just came home from the hospital and for now she needs 24 hour care, so the last few chapters of this fic may take longer than usual. I'm sure you all understand that Mama's health and care comes first, so bear with me. Love you guys! Now on with the tale of two crazy Gems.

Chapter 20: Beach City Hotel

Late in the evening one spring day in Beach City, a newly regenerated Gem sat in the corner of the sectional sofa practically curled up in a ball and avoiding eye contact with everyone else there. On the other side sat the once arrogant and extremely pride filled Jasper looking like a cat that had just been swatted with a rolled up newspaper. She would have sat closer to the Gem she loved, but there was a mass of pink fur taking up a large amount of space between them. Lion had decided that Tiger-eye's lap was the perfect spot to lay his sleepy head for a catnap. The mopey Gem didn't even bother moving him. She didn't say so, but she welcomed the comfort his presence brought.

"Wow. Lion usually doesn't take to strangers so quickly," Steven stated as he walked over while adjusting his pajama top. He had just come out of his mother's room to set up some things. "Jasper, Tiger-eye, I set up a nice, comfortable space in my mom's room. If you want to make use of it let me know so I can let you in."

"Jasper can use the space if she wants. I'll stay right here." Steven was a bit surprised to hear that from Tiger-eye.

"But I thought the two of you would like to have some time alone together…"

"No, thank you," came the blacksmith's curt reply. Steven glanced over at Jasper, who hadn't spoken one word of protest. She merely slumped on the couch staring at the floor. Steven definitely picked up on the serious tension between the two. Of course Steven being Steven wanted to do something about it.

"Listen you two, if you're not going to accept Steven's offer of hospitality you know you'll need to be under guard out here. Just make sure you don't disturb Steven's rest," Garnet ordered.

"Garnet, I wasn't going to bed any time soon so I don't mind if they stayed out here a while longer…or maybe even the whole night."

"Steven, could you step aside with me please?"

"Sure."

Garnet met with her young charge in the kitchen area to have a private discussion. Steven hopped up on a bar stool next to the kitchen island as Garnet leaned on the countertop.

"Steven, I know you want to help Jasper and Tiger-eye, but you need to step back and let them figure things out on their own. Forcing them to talk to each other right now will just put an even bigger wedge between them. At the moment Jasper isn't ready to talk and Tiger-eye isn't ready to listen. That's a recipe for disaster." Steven hung his head letting out a sound between a sigh and a moan.

"I feel so bad for them. I mean, they looked so happy when they first saw each other after all that time apart…"

Their conversation was cut short when Jasper suddenly got up from the sofa to lumber out of the front door. Moments later all present heard heavy footsteps on the roof.

"Steven, you get some rest. I'll go talk to Jasper," Garnet stated as she headed out the door herself. The remaining Crystal Gems, except for Steven and Amethyst, went to their respective rooms. While Steven tried to coax Lion out of Tiger-eye's lap he noticed the blacksmith glaring at Lapis Lazuli as she walked by. In light of recent events he had an idea why Tiger-eye was giving the blue Gem such a hateful look. Lapis didn't even pause her barefooted steps as she went into her room. Steven eventually gave up trying to move his magical pet from Tiger-eye's lap. The contemplative Gem didn't seem to mind the large, fluffy, pink lap warmer, so Steven didn't concern himself about it. Amethyst had leaned back on the other side of the sectional and propped her feet on top of one of Lion's haunches. Steven knew that Garnet didn't want him to interfere with Jasper and Tiger-eye, but the hybrid boy just couldn't ignore his desire to cheer up the pretty reddish-brown Gem.

"Hey, Tiger-eye, you wanna come up to my room to watch TV?"

"What's…tee-vee?"

"It's…uh…an electronic box that you watch different things on for entertainment." Steven hoped his explanation was adequate. Unfortunately Tiger-eye seemed apathetic to it.

"I'll pass."

"What about a board game? Don't Wake The Llama is pretty fun and challenging." The mopey Gem shrugged as Amethyst scoffed at his efforts.

"Face it, dude. It's pointless to try to cheer her up. She's too busy being a sad sack to care." Steven frowned at his purple guardian's apathetic attitude before turning back to the depressed Tiger-eye.

"Umm…do you just want to be left alone? Because I could…"

"I want to know why…" Tiger-eye muttered, her voice barely audible even in the quiet, dimly lit living room. "Why did Jasper do it?" Steven shifted awkwardly before answering.

"That's something you need to ask Jasper, since I can't speak for her." Steven's heart sank when he saw the Gem frown then bury her face in Lion's fluffy mane. "Amethyst, I'm going to bed."

"All right, Little Man. G'night."

Steven settled in between the bed sheets, but he didn't fall asleep right away. As he pressed his face against the cool side of his pillow he could have sworn he heard the subtle sound of soft weeping in the dimmed domicile. He could feel his own tears of sympathy welling up as he lay in silence. He could hear Amethyst speaking to the distraught Gem with a hushed, gentle tone, which made him smile. The Amethyst he knew and loved could be crass, loud, and just plain wild at times, but there were times when the purple Gem expressed her tender side. That was usually when she thought Steven wasn't looking or listening. After a while Tiger-eye's soft weeping ceased, and it wasn't long before all the day's excitement caught up with the young hybrid.

A few hours later Steven was awakened by the sound of soft voices coming from below. He noticed that Lion had made his way into Steven's bed and decided to use almost all of Steven's body as a pillow. Steven shimmied his body from beneath the sleeping, pink beast in order to peek down at the living room below. He could make out two forms on the corner of the sectional sofa closest to him. He assumed the one sitting was Tiger-eye and the larger one kneeling was Jasper. He was glad to see the pair was back on speaking terms. He was also quite curious about their conversation, so he got as close to the edge of his loft to eavesdrop. The young hybrid strained to hear their hushed tones.

"So, are you gonna tell me why you did it?"

"I certainly didn't do it to hurt you."

"Stop avoiding the question."

"Alright, I'll explain, but you might not like what you hear. It was an intense situation. Our ship was destroyed, I was injured, and we were outnumbered. I…wanted to win at all costs, even if it meant…going against my own principals. It was the biggest mistake I have ever made and I regret it to this day. My body construct still bears the marks from that terrible choice." Jasper showed her estranged lover her wrists. Even in the dim light Tiger-eye could see the dark bands that seemed out of place on the soldier's body. "Being Malachite was in no way enjoyable. I was literally fighting for my very existence. The longer I was trapped in the fusion the more difficult it became not to lose myself. I felt as if any moment my entire being would have been swallowed up. Never before have I felt so weak, afraid, humiliated, and ashamed. Ty, I have never told anyone besides you about this because you are literally the only Gem I trust. Even if you no longer want to be with this pathetic excuse for a soldier, I know you'd never betray my trust. I'll understand if you no longer want to be partners. I just want you to know that I love you and want you to be happy, even if you choose not to be with me."

The despondent Jasper grew quiet as she awaited Tiger-eye's response. The Red Tiger-eye replied with actions instead of words. She gently took hold of Jasper's left wrist, looked over the uneven and unusually dark orange band, then brought the wrist to her lips. She did the same with Jasper's right wrist.

"Does this mean you forgive me…?"

Tiger-eye silenced Jasper, pressing an index finger against her lips before cupping the soldier's face in her hands. Jasper was a bit confused by her partner's behavior and her unusually serious expression. After a moment of gazing into each others' eyes, the Red Tiger-eye leaned forward and kissed Jasper's gem. It had been thousands of years since her love had made that romantic gesture, and Jasper couldn't hold back her own affection any longer. Each kiss they shared was an expression of forgiveness, acceptance, and trust. Steven averted his gaze as their kiss became more passionate, until a low, husky voice broke the silence.

"Mmmm…now that's what I call hot Gem on Gem action!"

The couple pulled apart as their eyes darted about the room searching for the source of the voice.

"Who the hell said that?"

"I don't know, Jaspy…"

It was only when the little purple pillow in Tiger-eye's lap began to quiver that two gems knew that something was amiss with the object. They couple looked down and saw a face on the pillow bearing a smirk looking up at them. Tiger-eye snatched the pillow out of her lap and tossed it up, causing a chain reaction of events. The pillow smacked Steven in the face, startling him and causing him to tumble from his bedroom loft. Fortunately Jasper caught him before he could hit the floor. Amethyst shapeshifted in midair and landed on her feet, then doubled over with laughter. By now Pearl had come out of her room to see what all the commotion was about.

"What on Earth is going on out here?"

"Those two were gettin' hot and heavy on the sofa, right Steven?" Amethyst snickered. Once Pearl saw Jasper holding Steven in her arms all kinds of crazy notions filled her head.

"You! Put Steven down this instant!"

"Pearl, calm down! Jasper caught me after I fell out of the loft," the youngster explained as Jasper set him safely on the floor.

"I knew Greg should have built a safety railing on the edge! I'm going to give him a piece of my mind next time I see him. I guess I'll have to get started on building it. Perhaps Peridot and I can go to the barn to find materials…" Pearl stormed off muttering to herself while Steven apologized for his behavior.

"Jasper, Tiger-eye, I'm sorry for being so nosey. I was just so worried that you two might not get back together. I'm so happy you guys are getting along again."

"I'm glad as well," Jasper added with a loving glance at her partner. Tiger-eye shyly averted her eyes and blushed so hard her face practically glowed in the dim living room. Jasper sat next to her lover to drape an arm over her shoulders. Steven turned on the lights and trotted over to the kitchen area with Amethyst.

"Ok, what's on the menu for breakfast?" Steven pondered aloud.

"How about popsicles?"

"Popsicles? You know Pearl would never approve that as a proper meal!"

"Pearl's not here right now so…" Amethyst wiggled her brow as Steven returned a mischievous smirk.

"Popsicles it is then!" Amethyst opened the freezer then stretched her arms to grab the large bag of popsicles at the back of the freezer. She grabbed a box of chocolate cream-sicles as well. Steven called dibs on the pineapple flavored one since that seemed to be the rarest one in any given bag of popsicles. He then grabbed a roll of paper towels and sat the bag of popsicles on the coffee table.

"Hey, Jasper, Tiger-eye, you want to try one?" Jasper immediately declined.

"There's only one sweet thing I have a taste for right now," the statuesque soldier stated as she gazed down at her oblivious partner. Amethyst had a fit of giggles over Jasper's suggestive statement, but Steven was clueless about what she was referring to.

"I'd like to try one, Steven." Jasper looked surprised by this. Tiger-eye wasn't normally adventurous with other people besides her partner.

"Cool! Which one do you want to try?"

"Ummm…that one."

"The orange one?"

"Yes, please."

Steven happily obliged and pulled an orange popsicle out of the bag. He unwrapped it down to the stick, wrapped a couple of paper towels around the bottom, and handed it to the curious Gem. Amethyst gave a quick demonstration of how to eat the popsicle then stuck out her tongue showing off some of the chocolate cream-sicle. Steven laughed at her display while Jasper grumbled about the 'disgusting little runt.' Steven happily consumed his pineapple popsicle as he put the bag back in the freezer. Tiger-eye looked over the bright orange confection then gave it a few tentative licks. Then, following Amethyst's example, she slowly pushed the popsicle into her mouth, twirling it in her mouth and slowly pulling it out with a slurp. As the Red Tiger-eye experienced eating food for the first time, it seemed that she was unaware of the two other Gems growing quiet and watching her intently at first. When she finally did notice she paused with the half melted popsicle resting on the tip of her tongue. Her eyes darted between the two mesmerized beings. Amethyst was staring with mouth agape as chocolate cream-sicle dripped down her hand, and Jasper narrowed her eyes and licked her lips. Tiger-eye slurped up the last of the melting popsicle, but didn't say a word about the others' creepy expressions.

"Hey, Tiger-eye, could I, um…have that stick?"

"Sure…Amethyst."

The purple quartz held the orange tinted stick and stared at it trying to decided whether to eat it or save it. She finished off the chocolate cream-sicle, including the wrapper and stick, then scooted off to her room with the orange stained popsicle stick still in hand. Tiger-eye wondered what Amethyst planned on doing with that stick when her gaze met with her partner's.

"Jaspy, you ok?"

"No."

"What's wrong?"

"We need to find our own private space."

Tiger-eye had a clear idea of what that private space would be for and blushed at the realization. Not long after sunrise the beach house was bustling with activity. Pearl discussed building the railing for Steven's room with Peridot, Steven and Lapis had a talk in the kitchen, while Jasper and Garnet had a semi-heated discussion involving what some humans would refer to as posturing. Both the fusion and the soldier had alpha personalities so it was no surprise that they would bump heads. Amethyst and Tiger-eye watched their back-and-forth with interest.

"Hey, Tiger-eye."

"Yeah?"

"What's the story with you and Jasper?"

"What do you mean?"

"I noticed she treats you a whole lot different from everybody else."

"That's because we're partners."

"Yeah, that must be it. She tends to be a real bitch to everyone else."

"Hey!"

"You know it's true."

"Well…yeah, I can't argue with that."

Amethyst slumped on the couch with a devilish smirk before mumbling under her breath.

"You must have some really good pussy to tame that beast."

"Huh? What did you just say?"

"Oh, nothing important."

Tiger-eye got the feeling the purple Gem was up to something, but that thought was set aside when Jasper approached and took her mate by the hand.

"Let's go outside, honey. I can't stand being cooped up in this place."

Once they left Garnet signaled Amethyst to keep an eye on them. Meanwhile, Steven was busy doing things in his own Steveny way in his room. He was deep in conversation with his father, Greg, about an upcoming Spring Break event in Beach City called 'Jumpoff.' While solidifying his plans with his dad a bit of information sparked an idea in the teenaged boy's mind (which he discussed with his father first, of course) that made him so excited he wanted to share it with the Gems right away. He asked Greg to stay on the line as he rushed outside to speak to a certain couple. To his surprise he saw what appeared to be Jasper and Tiger-eye engaged in fierce combat while Amethyst cheered them on from the front porch. Steven cried out to the feisty pair until Amethyst draped her arm around his shoulder and reassured him that all was well.

"It's cool, Stee-man! They're just sparring. They needed to blow off some steam since they can't, uh…never mind…" the purple Gem concluded giving in to a sudden sense of decency. The sparring partners' session ended with Jasper heaping praise on her lover.

"In spite of being out of practice so long you really held your own, love. I'm so proud of you!"

"Well, I had the best trainer in all of Homeworld so you should be proud of yourself."

They continued to compliment each other on their way back towards the beach house as Steven trotted down the porch steps to meet them. Jasper turned her attention to the excited little Quartz child as he rushed towards her holding a small, flat, slender object in his hand.

"Jasper, Tiger-eye, I need to talk to you guys. I have my Dad on a video call. He had a great idea that could help you guys." Steven held up the small device with the screen facing Jasper and her partner. The soldier concluded that the object was a type of communication device when she saw the image of a human on the screen. "Jasper and Tiger-eye, I'd like you to meet my Dad, Greg. Dad, this is Jasper and Tiger-eye."

When Greg got a look at the two Gems he and his son had been discussing, certain thoughts went through his mind.

 _'Good Lord, Jasper looks big and scary! She looks like she could eat me alive! And does she even know how to smile? Tiger-eye though is pretty damn cute and looks like she could be a lot of fun. How the hell did these two become a couple? Then again, I couldn't figure out what Rose saw in a dope like me, so I shouldn't judge.'_

Greg greeted the two Homeworld Gems with a nervous smile. Jasper responded with a cold glare while Tiger-eye gave the human a cute little wave.

"So, my son tells me you two need some space to get away from it all. Well, I may have a solution to your problem. There's a music festival coming up this weekend to kick off Spring Break called 'Jumpoff' and Mayor Dewey put me in charge of the stage crew. The Mayor's providing a block of hotel rooms for the weekend, but one of the guy's wife went into labor early this morning. So Keith won't be able to make it, leaving a room available. Now, I could go through the hassle of cancelling the booking for his room or…you two could use the room instead. The only catch is one of you is going to have to work in Kieth's place with the stage crew."

The ever skeptical Jasper had a few questions before accepting the offer.

"First of all, what is the function of a stage crew? Second, what the hell is a hotel?"

"I'm glad you asked. The stage crew's job is to set up all of the audio and video equipment on and around a performance stage."

"A performance stage…like for a Dance Battle?" Tiger-eye's face suddenly lit up at the mention of one of her favorite pastimes.

"Yeah…I guess that's comparable since there will be singing and dancing. As for what a hotel is, it's a building that people stay for temporary housing for a fee, depending on the quality of the rooms and services. So it's basically a place to crash while you're away from home."

"Temporary quarters…sounds like barracks."

"It's kind of like that except it's not specifically for military personnel. It's open to the general public."

Jasper consulted with her partner about the human's offer.

"We accept your terms, human."

"Uh…please call me Greg…"

"Now, what's required of me in exchange?"

"Well…can you handle heavy lifting?"

Jasper's expression exploded with pride as she flexed her bulging biceps.

"Absolutely."

For the next few days Steven and Amethyst spent time with Jasper and Tiger-eye giving them a crash course on how to properly interact with the inhabitants of Earth.

"When you first meet somebody you normally greet them with a hand shake. Now put out your right hand, Jasper." Jasper did so, then Steven took hold of her hand and gave it a two quick shakes. "Pretty straight forward, right? Try not to squeeze too hard. You're very strong so you might end up breaking their hand. And that's considered rude…and assault…which is illegal…and I really don't want to have to figure out how to break you out of jail, so please be gentle with the fragile humans."

Steven even went over basic greetings and pleasantries with the couple.

"It's nice to say 'good morning' or 'hello' with a smile. Tiger-eye, you have a great smile so that should be no problem for you. Uh, Jasper…we can work on yours a little."

"Are you saying there's something wrong with my smile?"

"No offense, Jasper, but your smile is pretty scary." It was clear that Jasper took offense to Steven's comment. A low growl rumbled in her throat until she felt a gentle pat on her thigh from her partner.

"I think you have a beautiful smile, Jaspy."

"Oh, honey, you are the sweetest."

"That's it right there!" Steven suddenly exclaimed.

"What's it right where?" a very confused Jasper responded.

"That smile you had on your face just now…when you were looking at Tiger-eye. It was perfect and not scary at all!"

"Oh…I see… Thank you?" Jasper wasn't sure if she was being complimented, insulted, or a little of both.

"Maybe if you smile while thinking about Tiger-eye your smile won't make just about every human you meet poop their pants!"

"Ok…I'll keep that in mind."

Amethyst also took part in schooling the Homeworld couple about certain Earth activities, especially those of the carnal variety. One day Amethyst and Peridot made a trip to Greg's garage to scrounge for useful materials to use at the beach house. More accurately, Peridot came to look for useful objects. Amethyst just came to dick around on one of Greg's old laptops that Peridot had restored. Amethyst booted up the electronic device then connected to the wifi.

"Hey you two, wanna see something cool?"

Jasper and Tiger-eye, who had been busy looking over some long abandoned workout equipment, hesitated to answer. It had taken them only a few days to figure out that whenever Amethyst wanted to show you something cool it was either gross, perverted, or a gross perversion. The couple gave each other a wary glance before deciding to indulge the free spirited Gem out of pure curiosity. Tiger-eye sat down next to Amethyst as Jasper sat on her partner's right. Amethyst had set the laptop on the floor so all three could see the screen.

"What the hell do you plan on showing us, runt?" Jasper grumbled. "It had better not be anything like that 'Two Girls, One Cup' insanity you showed us the other day. Fucking sick, disgusting humans…"

"No way! This'll be a million times cooler than that."

Amethyst went to a site called Blaze Videos. The home page background had a raging inferno gif with a variety of naked human females with a variety of complexions in sexual poses.

"This chick right here named Palladina is one of my favorites! Her skin tone is kinda like yours, Tiger." Amethyst clicked on the photo of the brown skinned woman and a list of newly uploaded videos came up on the screen. She then clicked the preview thumbnail to play the video. She slid the bar past the opening dialog straight to the action. Palladina was manually and orally stimulating her presently unnamed male partner when Tiger-eye started pointing at the screen in excitement.

"Jaspy, that looks like…the giant finger that…!" The blacksmith clammed up when her partner gave her a warning glare.

"Giant finger? What the fuck are you talking about?" Amethyst paused the video to give Tiger-eye a chance to explain. Once Tiger-eye pointed at the appendage in question Amethyst snickered at the other Gem's naiveté. "That's not a giant finger. That called a dick, cock, prick…"

"Oh, for Gems' sake, it's called a penis!" a clearly annoyed Peridot exclaimed as she rummaged through an interesting pile of scrap metal behind them.

"Look, Peri, I remember when you used to call fingers touch stumps, so don't try to act like a Miss Know-it-all now!" Amethyst teased the little green technician, who went back to rummaging while muttering under her breath.

"Pee-ness…" Tiger-eye said the word several times before shrugging her shoulders. "Humans sure have weird sounding names for things."

"Yeah! Isn't it hilarious? Anyway, how do you know what a dick looks like?" Tiger-eye looked like a deer caught in headlights while Jasper frowned and shook her head. "Huh? Why are you two acting so weird? Are you keeping secrets?"

"Let's move on to a different subject," Jasper grumbled through gritted teeth. Amethyst flashed a shit eating grin before showing the couple some more videos. When Tiger-eye leaned forward to get a closer look at the laptop screen Jasper reached over to rub her partner's bottom then slip her hand down the back of her lover's harem pants. Peridot looked up right at that very moment. Her and Jasper's eyes locked for a split second. Peridot's expression said, 'What in the world are you doing?' while Jasper's face said 'Turn back around and mind your own business.' Peridot did just that while Jasper played with her partner discreetly for a few minutes. Tiger-eye managed to keep her composure until Jasper pulled her hand out and quickly licked her fingers. Peridot happened to catch that too. With a grunt she dumped the selected materials in a wheelbarrow and started wheeling it out of the garage.

"I'm finished. Let's get back to the Temple, please!" the green Gem pleaded, her voice practically squeaking.

"Ok, ok! You don't need to rush us," Amethyst complained as she plugged in the laptop so it could charge. "Hey, Jasper, maybe you and your lady could try some of that stuff at the hotel," Amethyst teased.

"We just might do that." Tiger-eye was too embarrassed to even comment, so she just walked along quietly holding hands with her beloved.

The rest of the week continued to be a crash course to living on Earth for the reunited partners. They even got a chance to meet and spend time with Steven's best friend, and keeper of his heart, Connie. Before she came over Steven discussed Jasper and Tiger-eye's situation, so Connie suggested that the couple be set up on a date. Spring Break was fast approaching so there would be plenty of activities going on the coming weekend.

When Connie arrived at the beach house Steven introduced his sweetheart to Jasper and Tiger-eye. Steven saw that his etiquette lessons were paying off when he witnessed the two Gems greet Connie with a smile and a shaking of hands.

"It's so nice to finally meet you. Steven tells me that you two are a couple. How long have you two been together?"

"Over one thousand years…not counting the five thousand we were separated," Jasper explained.

"Wow, that's a really long time."

"By human standards, I would agree. But that's not very long to a Gem."

"Speak for yourself, Jaspy. It's seemed like I was trapped in that bubble forever!" Jasper pulled her lover close to kiss her on the forehead.

Connie was a sucker for romantic gestures, so she could barely contain her delighted squeal at the sight of the loving couple's interaction.

"You two must be excited about your upcoming date after all those years apart."

"Uh, what's a date?" Jasper asked. Tiger-eye admitted that she was curious about that as well.

"It's like a…romantic outing. You dress nice for the one you love, hold hands and talk about your future together, and do fun stuff." The whole time Steven was explaining all this he gazed at Connie with a dreamy expression.

"Oh, Jaspy! That sounds like when we went to the Sea Dragon Pillars!"

"Sea Dragon Pillars? Where's that?"

"It's on the Gem colony on a planet called Aquas 39," Jasper explained to the teenaged hybrid.

"That sounds pretty cool. Did you guys have fun there?"

Both Gems nodded as they reminisced about that positive experience.

"Well, now you'll be making even more fun memories right here in Beach City! Steven and I will do everything we can to make sure you have a good time.

Over the next few days the two Homeworld Gems' level of awkwardness went down a few notches with Steven, Connie, and Amethyst's help. There was a bit of tension between Jasper and Amethyst though when the purple Crystal Gem was showing Tiger-eye another part of the eating food experience in Steven's bathroom. Jasper didn't like the idea of Amethyst being locked in a small room alone with her partner. Steven, being the peace keeper that he was, managed to keep the situation from escalating by helping Tiger-eye himself, thus avoiding Jasper breaking down the bathroom door in a jealous rage.

Day 1 of the Jumpoff Festival finally arrived and the beach house was abuzz with activity. While waiting for Greg to arrive to pick them up, Jasper and Tiger-eye surprised each other with new outfits for their weekend get-away. They each utilized ideas they got from looking through some fashion magazines Amethyst had lent them from her stash. Jasper was drawn to the military chic style. She donned a maroon and brown muscle shirt with a yellow diamond in the center of her chest, and a pair of camouflage capris tucked into a pair maroon and brown military style boots. Per her partner's request she wore her wild, light peach colored locks in a ponytail. Tiger-eye decided to go with a body con style with a short red and cream colored jumper with a diamond shaped keyhole in the center of her chest and a bit of skin showing on the side. She finished off the look with a pair of knee length gladiator sandals and her loose, wavy locks flowing down her back.

"Jaspy, you look so good like this! I love the new look, especially your ponytail."

Jasper smiled at the compliments as she pulled her partner close to whisper in her ear.

"You look so beautiful. I'm tempted to skip the whole stage crew thing and take you to the hotel and fuck you senseless." Tiger-eye pulled away and wagged her finger at her lover.

"Oh, no, baby. You're not gonna make me miss a chance to watch you put your sexy muscles in action."

"Come on, love. You know all this can be put to better use than heavy lifting. Why put it off?" Jasper teased as she flexed her left bicep placing her other hand on her sturdy hip.

"I think you've forgotten how extremely patient I am. Besides, delayed gratification can make things a whole lot more interesting later. So…you're gonna have to wait, love." Tiger-eye stuck out her tongue and headed out the door. The now flushed faced Jasper followed close behind, her eyes squarely on her partner's full and swaying hips.

After Greg met up with the rest of the stage crew at the hotel to check in all at once, the whole group, including Steven, Connie, and three of the Gems, made the short trip to Lighthouse Park. There were two trailers full of sound and stage equipment parked on top of the hill. While the truck drivers got out to unlock and open the trailers for the crew, Greg formally introduced Jasper to the other humans.

"Fellas, this is Jasper. She's going to be working in Keith's place since he's busy welcoming his first kid into the world. Jasper, this it Rakeem, Lloyd, Damien, Frank, and Umar."

All introductions aside, the crew got to work unloading equipment while Steven, Connie, Amethyst, and Tiger-eye waited in Greg's van. Although the human workers seemed to be intimidated by Jasper's size at first, soon they appreciated her size and strength as she carried huge speakers and stage components like they were pillows. After about an hour, Tiger-eye had gotten restless. She had shrunk herself down a couple of feet to fit in the back of Greg's van and wanted to get out and stretch a bit. She shapeshifted back to her normal 7' 1" frame then walked towards the stage leaving Steven and Connie playing games on Connie's tablet and Amethyst taking a nap. Tiger-eye walked over to Greg to lend a helping hand.

"Greg, is there anything I can do to assist?"

"Now that you mention it I could use some help hooking up these audio cables. Grab those two right there."

As Greg and Ty walked over to the stage, cables in hand, the blacksmith's tall, lean form caught the attention of two of the stage crew. Frank tapped Rakeem on the arm to direct his attention to the attractive Gem.

"Who is that, Frank?"

"I don't know. I do know one thing. She's fine as hell!"

"I agree. She's sexy as shit! My dick is getting' hard just lookin' at her! She's over there working with Greg. You think they're fuckin'?"

"Nah, I don't think so. If they were Greg would have mentioned her earlier. They don't seem to be acting like they're a couple…"

Just then Jasper walked up on the whispering coworkers carrying a huge speaker.

"Where do you want this, Rakeem?"

"Right there on the big white 'X'." Jasper set the speaker down and noticed the two men were looking elsewhere.

"What are you two looking at?"

"The beautiful lady that showed up outta nowhere," Frank answered. "I want to know who she is and find out what she's doing later on." Jasper followed the men's gaze then frowned a bit.

"She's my partner, and what we do later on is none of your damned business."

"Oh, well…ahem…you are truly blessed to have such a lovely woman like that…uh, I'm going back to work with this sound equipment here…yeah…" Frank when back to doing his job, cursing under his breath, while Rakeem did all he could to keep from laughing at Frank's embarrassment. The irritated Jasper went straight to her lover to scold her for even lifting a finger and ordered her to get back in the van.

"I just wanted to help, Jaspy."

"I know, honey, but I got this. I'm almost done here, so go wait for me."

"Ok…"

As the pouty Tiger-eye made her way back to Greg's van, Jasper gave her a hard swat on the bottom, causing the good natured Gem to smile and blush. Not long after the stage setup was complete, one of the artists showed up to do a sound test. After getting a couple selfies with the singer Steven called home to tell Garnet that her favorite recording artist was there at Lighthouse Park in the flesh. Garnet didn't even bother hanging up the phone as she scaled the Crystal Temple, tore past the lighthouse, and ran to the open field in record time just to meet her favorite singer in person. Steven thought it was quite interesting and a little humorous to see the usually calm, cool, and collected Garnet star struck while meeting her favorite celebrity.

After the stage crew wrapped up and Garnet was finished with her celebrity worship, Steven and company headed to Funland to enjoy their day until the big concert later on. Fortunately Mr. Smiley had long since lifted the ban on Steven coming there. Neither Steven or any of the other Crystal Gems had caused any property damage in a while, so all was well for now.

Steven and Connie gave Jasper and Tiger-eye a tour of the gallery of open air arcade games set up around the amusement park while Greg and Amethyst played the basket ball game. At one point Amethyst shapeshifted into a basketball in order to help Greg rack up some prizes. Greg couldn't believe the game operator never caught on. Soon the double daters came across a booth overflowing with large stuffed animals as prizes. Tiger-eye asked Steven about one particular stuffed animal that was orange with black stripes.

"That's called a tiger."

"Oh, like the first half of my name! Jaspy, will you win that prize for me?"

"Of course, my love. You can have whatever you want." Jasper then turned to the booth operator and looked him dead in the face. "What's the objective?"

The young booth operator looked a bit confused and intimidated by the Homeworld warrior. Steven intervened before things could get ugly.

"She means what does she have to do to win the prize." The booth operated nodded in understanding.

"The object of the game is to use one of these balls to knock down these old fashioned milk bottles on this pedestal right here."

"That's it?"

"Yes ma'am."

"Well then, I'll take the challenge."

Steven handed over three tickets to the booth operator, who in turn gave Jasper three balls. Jasper was confident she would only need one ball to get the job done. She then held one ball as if she was shooting marbles, flicked it, and to everyone's surprise (except for Steven, Connie, and Tiger-eye) obliterated the milk bottles in one shot. Now the booth operator was beyond intimidated. He was straight up terrified, so much so that he not only gave Tiger-eye the tiger doll, but he added in a penguin as well. He then discretely pleaded with Jasper not to come back to the booth.

Next the double daters went indoors to try some electronic entertainment. One game in particular caught the blacksmith's eye. It was called Dance Evolution. Connie explained that the objective of the game was to reach the highest level of the game. At every fifth level of the game the avatar would evolve into a more complex being. At the same time, at every fifth level the dance moves become more complicated. After Tiger-eye observed a couple of challengers before her and Connie's turn came she knew without a doubt she was up for the challenge.

When Connie and Tiger-eye's turn came the human girl and the Gem stepped onto the platform. What followed was one of the most enjoyable times the former Dance Battle champion had ever experienced. Steven and Jasper cheered them on as they passed each checkpoint. By the time they reached level 15 a crowd had gathered to watch something beautiful and amazing. Both Connie and Tiger-eye could be a bit on the shy side and prone to social anxiety. However, the two of them were so caught up in the game and having so much fun they didn't even realize that such a large crowd had gathered to watch them dance. At level 22 Connie had to bow out while Tiger-eye stayed at it until a tranquil voice emanated from the game stating the Tiger-eye's avatar had achieved nirvana and the onlookers cheered as her avatar evolved into a beautiful light being.

As all this was happening, Harold Smiley, the proprietor of Funland, came over to see what all of the commotion was about and to make sure no one was breaking any of his games. He didn't even get a chance to complain before he stood awestruck by the thing of beauty before him. Tiger-eye had literally, figuratively, and spiritually taken Dance Evolution to a higher level and it was glorious. Eventually Tiger-eye quit the game and was met with uproarious applause. Connie gave the humble Gem a high five and a very proud Jasper hugged her so tight the she lifted her sweet lover off the ground. Before the four of them left the arcade the were stopped by Mr. Smiley.

"Hey there, Steven!"

"Oh, hi Mr. Smiley. What's up?"

"Nothing much. I just wanted to ask your friend here a question. What's your name, sweetheart?" The human addressed the talented Gem directly so there was no mistaking who he was talking to.

"Tiger-eye."

"Nice to meet you. Harold Smiley. You can call me Harold or even Harry. I saw you playing Dance Evolution like a pro over there. You enjoy yourself?"

"Most definitely! I'd love to play it again someday."

"Tell you what…you can stop by anytime to play to your heart's content." The former R&B singer pulled something out of his pocket and handed it to the tall Gem. "This is a lifetime membership for the Funland VIP club. It's not often I give away a free membership like this, but you can go to funlandvipclub. com and check out all the awesome benefits, like unlimited season passes. I hope to see you again in the near future, Tiger-eye!" Mr. Smiley flashed a wide smile as the double daters left the building. As the Funland manager watched the group leave certain thoughts raced through his mind.

 _'Good googly moogly, that Tiger-eye is sexy as HELL! I can't wait to see her back up in here. Even if she showed up at 3 AM I'd still let her pretty ass in, yes indeedy do!'_

The quartet eventually caught up with Greg and Amethyst at the food court. Steven suggested that Jasper and Tiger-eye try cotton candy for the first time. After a few nibbles the partners decided that the fluffy confection was too sweet. Amethyst, being the type that hates to see any food go to waste, intercepted the cotton candy before it landed in a nearby trashcan and ate it whole, including the paper cone. After an enjoyable time on this lovely spring day in Beach City, the group wrapped things up at the concert in Lighthouse Park. The ever vigilant soldier was on high alert as she observed the sizable crowd of humans gathered in front of the stage. She had never been around this many humans all at once before, so she was a little nervous and feeling protective towards her partner. Tiger-eye, on the other hand, was enjoying the new sights and sounds. She really liked the musical stylings of the various artists performing, especially the reggae, which seem to speak directly to her soul. At one point she pulled away from her partner to dance with Steven, Jenny, Amethyst, and even Garnet. Jasper stood not too far away watching her lover like a hawk until Tiger-eye approached her and took her by the hand.

"Baby, why don't you come dance with me?"

"No thanks, love."

"Aww, c'mon, Jaspy! It'll be fun!" Jasper declined once again giving her partner a sweet peck on the lips. Tiger-eye huffed in disappointment and leaned against her lover for the rest of the concert, grinding her hips against Jasper to the rhythm of the music. Later that evening all but Garnet went to the hotel to settle in for the night. Greg was kind enough to show the Homeworld couple how to open the room door with the key card and even showed them how to make room to room calls in case they needed help with anything.

"We'll be in room 202, so if you need anything thing don't hesitate to call. Enjoy your night!" Greg leaned in close to whisper, "try not to break any furniture, ok?" Steven and Connie bid the couple goodnight and followed Greg to their room down the hall near the elevators while Amethyst stayed behind for a few seconds to speak to the two other Gems.

"I want details in the morning." The feisty Crystal Gem glided out of sight grinning like a Cheshire cat. The door closed behind the partners with a soft click. They were finally alone. Tiger-eye had walked over to the large glass door that led to a balcony and opened the curtains to enjoy the view of the Beach City nightscape. It was a lovely sight when it was all lit up. She even spotted some Spring Break revelers taking their partying to the streets. Her quiet observations were interrupted by the feeling of Jasper pressing her body mass against her back. It was a very welcome distraction.

"Ty, did you enjoy yourself today?"

"Yeah. I had a lot of fun. How about you?"

"Me too. But there's one thing that's been on my mind all day." Jasper rubbed her hands down the front of her lover's body until she stopped between her legs. "I know you've been teasing me on the low all day, starting with this outfit of yours. I'm not mad at you, though. It just serves to make my payback even more fun." Jasper leaned her head on her lover's left shoulder and slowly traced her tongue along the edge of Tiger-eye's ear. She smiled when she felt the reddish brown beauty shudder. Seeing such a strong reaction to such a subtle touch told Jasper her lover was extra sensitive, and that was perfectly fine with her. She rubbed a hand between Ty's legs for a few minutes before leading her to the bed, kicking the toy tiger and penguin aside.

Jasper bid her partner sit on the side of the bed while she exposed her own construct. Tiger-eye smiled up at her love as she did the same.

"Honey, I want to try something different. Do you think you can do what Palladina did?"

"I'll try. If it doesn't feel right to you just tell me and I'll stop."

"Take your time, and try to do it like you did with that popsicle."

Tiger-eye admired her partner's shapeshifted phallus, stroking it lovingly before tracing her tongue over the head. Jasper felt a pleasurable twitch as the lovely reddish brown Gem pressed her soft lips against the length of the shaft. She gave the head one more kiss and teasing lick before taking in the whole length down her throat. Since Gems have no need to breathe she didn't gag or choke. Ty looked up at her mate to see her blissful expression. That's when she had no doubt that Jasper was enjoying every bit if this. Moments later the liberated concubine had a steady rhythm going. As if by natural instinct Jasper matched her rhythm as she pumped her hips like a piston. A sensual moan escaped the soldier's mouth as she felt as if her very essence was pouring out of her. Ty drank up every drop of liquid light from her lover before Jasper pulled out of her mouth.

"That felt amazing, honey," Jasper praised, stroking Tiger-eye's hair as she allowed her lust clouded thoughts to clear. She then bid her beloved scoot onto the bed and lay on her back. As Jasper stood at the foot of the bed she noticed Tiger-eye had a slightly worried look in her eyes. "Ty, what's wrong?"

"Nothing. I'm just a little nervous. It's been so long since we did this so I don't want to disappoint you." Jasper chuckled as she pulled Tiger-eye closer to the edge of the bed and knelt between her legs.

"I don't see anything to be disappointed about." The soldier didn't give her lover a chance to disagree as she kissed her tenderly right before getting the first taste of her lover after over five thousand years. Tiger-eye's reaction was strong. Hearing her mate express her pleasure served to excite Jasper even more. In spite of all that time apart Jasper hadn't forgotten how to please her partner, and soon she had Ty overflowing. Jasper bit, kissed, and licked her way up Tiger-eye's body until was directly on top of her gazing into those beautiful, light brown eyes.

"Ty, I'm so happy we're back together again. I missed you so much. I missed holding you, kissing you, hearing your sweet voice, and most of all I missed being with you like this." Tiger-eye was unable to hold in the long and loud moan escaping from her as Jasper entered where no other Gem had been in one move. "I love you! You're my Tiger-eye and I swear I'm never letting you go!"

Meanwhile, in room 211 a group of college students on Spring Break was getting an earful from the room next door. The two young ladies and two young men had started to play a card game to pass the time until their quiet evening was interrupted by rhythmic thumping from 213. Buck was doing his best to ignore the noise, but it was so loud that it was impossible for him to do so.

"I just wanted to play a friendly round of Cards Against Humanity. Is that too much to ask?" the Mayor's only son asked as he glared at the vibrating wall. Soon things escalated to a whole other level. All four of them could feel the floor shaking.

"Damn, what are they screwin' with? A jackhammer? Or maybe an atom smasher?" Jenny speculated before shooting her annoyed boyfriend an odd look.

"What? Why are you looking at me like that?"

"We'll talk about it later, bae."

Kiki groaned and curled up into a ball, pressing two pillows against her ears. By now Sour Cream was sitting against the wall between the two rooms with a recording device in his hand. When the others started to complain again he shushed them.

"Guys, keep it down! I'm trying to record samples for my next rave!" Kiki quietly admired her boyfriend's industrious attitude, but at the same time she hoped the sexual marathon next door would come to an end soon. Eventually all was quiet in room 213. The two lover's cuddled and talked well into the night. They made love several more times, but those times were much quieter. They even made love on the balcony a few times, not giving a damn if they were seen or not. In that one night the two Gems experienced just a small bit of the paradise they had once enjoyed together back on Homeworld. It was a joyful time neither one of them would ever forget.

Next Chapter: Fusion Confusion


	21. Announcement

ANNOUNCEMENT: Dear readers, my mother recently peacefully passed away so I'm taking a break from writing until after all funeral arrangements have been taken care of. Please bear with me. I haven't forgotten all of the one shot requests. They are in the works. Thank you to all of you who left reviews. I'll get back to writing as soon as possible.

Love, Lady Detia


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